Eric Walker and Tracey Northern

00:03 I'm 48 years old today is October 5th 2020. I'm in Alton, Illinois sitting with my brother.

00:11 I let him introduce herself.

00:19 My name is Eric Walker on 49. Today is October 5th, Alton, Illinois. This is my brother Tracey Northern. So there you go.

00:35 Alright smile

00:38 If we can just write it.

00:41 Are you going to start? What did you grow up at?

00:52 I mean, I mean it didn't neighborhoods like I mean which neighborhoods you remember growing up. We was younger like where your number if you know the more most of the one I remember the most is going up on Myrtle. We've stayed on Myrtle 11th last year. We live what we start on the 1414 to Myrtle. We had a good time on Myrtle great a lot of parties.

01:50 I mean we do, you know, when can we do have different fathers lot of time and what they call Mexico Lindo Mexico to Puerto and it was kind of where all my father's side of the family stayed. I have my grandmother stayed on the Highland my father stayed on Highland. I had an aunt that stayed across the street from my father on highway. So I spend a lot of a lot of time out there which wasn't a bad part of the if it wasn't the greatest part of Ottoman, but it was no wonder though.

02:31 For the worst who can a lot of stuff happened out there.

02:37 Things when you know different. It was a long as you got so, you know it was

03:06 You're back then.

03:12 Oh where you pretty think I was like as a kid and the kid got a missed it mysterious to high school. He got in more trouble than I did. He didn't get kicked out of school a couple times. It was just one of those things, you know about it basically raised by a single mother so she was at work a lot but he got kicked out. I was I was a good hit my mouth as far am I from just make that very clear I wasn't doing nothing is ever if I have a smart mouth and I just didn't want to tell her sometimes that was my that was my whole thing. Probably still just don't know when to shut up sometimes but with that being said, yeah, I mean

04:06 Road bikes. I mean, you know, you should we spend the night at cousin's house week. I mean family reunions used to go to when we were younger and older we didn't, but now I'm going to grab my brother. My brother was in my brother was the money my eyes are always as big as he is very frugal with his I remember we had

04:36 We are what we said. He kept all the money I buy TN a little kids like 8 to 6. Maybe also the best of let me know. He kept all the money. That's my brother's know but to be clear it was my idea. That's why I kept all the money they were just hired hands and they got a little bit. So don't let him fool. You read if you know I did keep most of it but we're done with vegetables. It was like, you know my packet now or later is that being that is a castle to pay you guys just gave me my own money, but you do whatever whatever but

05:20 Yeah, we I mean, I don't know, you know growing up here and we we have a lot of friends together with them eat when you have a lot of friends and we are different from his own friends. I have my own stay together. But you know, I mean we should ride bikes like, you know, this is you know, I'm 49 years old. This is back. You know, I'm 12 years old ride my bike from Alton down to the grab the trailer for The Piasa bird, you know back in those days. You can do that back in 84 wasn't you know, you know you wasn't that is now whenever the kids not do that ever ever.

06:03 Call 970-8070 I was I was born in 71. So by the time I hit by the time I hit the 80s who I was only like nine old was kind of.

06:17 It wasn't a bad Town it was you know at that age you really didn't know a whole lot of what was going on. You just knew that you could just like ride your bike anywhere. You can have to play basketball football. Whatever you you know, you really wanted to do I think it's a little it's a lot different.

06:36 No way different now than it was then. You know who's more I was saying

06:43 Free no not much stuff to get into put it like that.

06:54 Play black white kids and black kids back then. I mean I play with no, I remember like playing street football games with you know, why kids like me to send my football. It was just

07:06 I mean that I really going to see any racism any division with you know, I never did see that really early age. I never saw on the family's just yet. It is growing up. He was just it was given this when I started do you start seeing drugs do to get over who I started seeing George traveling around and that's when you should understand now. Okay, there's no that became a big thing in the almanac in the 80s early in the NFL started noticing drugs are getting worse. Do you know like I say, they had lots of areas that had, you know, grown up and it was then it was a lot of projects.

07:53 Or housing complex is what they want to call them now and they

07:57 Going to those housing complexes with where you know, a lot of the activity drug activities. All the things went on in the later than the 80s where you know, you can go through there and buy anywhere anything from crack the marijuana. If you knew the right person that goes on and you know, most neighborhoods around the United States. I don't think anything different, you know, as far as that, I mean

08:26 Lotto result if not that it was anything different. It was just more so that because this is where we were going up at a lot more people and you will see a lot more people in as you grew up. You will start to see some of your friends do things that you weren't doing but still grappling seventies eighties. I remember, you know, I remember getting

08:56 Getting food stamps you want a ride to the store that you know, give me candy in a Grande Margarita. You going to get candy from the Union store in kulfi with bug spray with that was owned by a guy named Bushwick and local family still reeling to this day I believe.

09:27 M just bike ride man playing playing football for kids in the seventies and eighties. I mean you have drive-ins looking to drive in you. I remember being that's back when you to make your mom put you in the trunk and stick into the truck and the drive-in so you have to pay I've done that yet mom and dad that he put it in the back for the blanket over yourself in when going to the concession stand call Paul Young popcorn.

10:28 Remember what what about the times? You know our grandma staying at Grandma's house? All those times you spent the night at Grandma's house and you make them big breakfast in the morning made from scratch Maple scratch. Everything apples biscuits breakfast. Ya see ya been being that we had. Like I said, we had different fathers. So that was my mom's mom. Then I will go to my dad's mom's house and she was you know, she was pretty much the same way when I went there. She was like I was her oldest grandchild. So it was kind of like I was spoiled my all my aunts and everything they would just you know, you're right away because I was the oldest grandson and I got away with murder, but you know, I got away with anything. I want to grow more. You know, she wouldn't even let my dad.

11:28 Furnish me with nothing. I did everything I got everything I did she fussing him about what you shouldn't let him do it in this mess. So no going. Like I said in Mexico use my father's side of the family day, you know, we have three sets of houses that we would all run to staying on Highland. So

11:47 Going out there was a other silly cousin. They they all thought I was a bully cuz I was the oldest grandchild. So I thought you know, I pretty much did what I want to do. If so, how many kids how many kids you got three are junior Aaron and my daughter Erica and I have another daughter that we kind of adopted. Her name is Savannah, so

12:24 Those are my four kids have a grandson named Ian who's was in for an hour and 4 have deer beside you and Travon 3130 + 23 and these have two kids. There's kids. No 68 Ford Fusion get sick grandkid 95 9484 Lysander has Aiden and Aria right there 9 + 5 + 8 Travon has

13:11 Little mama name is Skylar, and she's almost two years old and he has one on the way.

13:20 And their hand. He has the one that he has their hands full when we get them all together. It's really is a really different is really good funny looking at your kids have kids and your grandkids you a grandpa the most part, but it's always a good time but

14:00 Raising kids in Alton raising kids and all them. It was a young parent. I had when I was 17 and 18 years old or too young to call Massage in China. So, you know DJ in China, I was 17 and 18 years old. I have my first two and it was it was hard being a parent that young and all them try to have a job support your kids, you know, not everything went well between me and them others all the time, you know, but you know, I did the best I could and you know the time we got better, you know what I mean? You know where my two boys would buy.

14:41 One lady and then my daughter is by another lady of my wife right now free. Shout out to you free to love you, baby, but

14:53 I had my first one with 19 by the time I was 23 I had three.

15:01 And by the time my boys were four and five. I asked me and my wife and I just got married and we got custody of my son. So I will they were all raised in the in the same household. They just said nothing, you know, they are all good kids primary pretty much you know that my oldest one is the one with the that has a son or a little Eric. He has a son now my grandson so he's you know doing what he has to do for his son in my other two, you know.

15:34 AJ's my middle son is in Germany. My daughter is an RN. She just got her RN license. My son was he went to school got his bachelor's join. The Army went to Germany came back home for a little while decide. He didn't he want to go back to Germany with his girlfriend. So he's over there now missing him when she was back home, but I'm glad he's over there happy.

15:58 No, let me ask you this though. What do you want now?

16:04 What do you think? You are pretty think most proud of myself by myself. Yeah.

16:16 I got to tell you who's who so I got to ask, you know, they can't see it. So the thing I'm proud of the most is I've been married for going on 25 years. I've had a lot of friends that's been married and that are together braised Almighty. I don't do

16:43 You know primary the most important parts of their life. They all went on the you know, what I want to do better things and I just promised back it up raise my kids to be better people not yet.

16:59 Do stuff just just to be better people in general and for what they've accomplished in their life. I'm I'm proud of okay now, I mean what I'm most proud of

17:14 Just overcome a lot of obstacles in my life, you know, Atlanta.

17:18 Challenging times, you know and just going to persevere not going to go to death from everything. But yeah just don't want to talk about that. Really.

17:43 I'm sure you know.

17:50 All right, bro. So, what's it like seeing your kids R kids funny as hell funny funny as hell cuz they do the same thing. You always be in the kids never believe what you know what you have kids that when she asked you to come to just like, you know, and it's it's the exact exact same thing is funny like my daughter. I love him to death I love but they have energy for days. They have energy for days and they do not stop being a big motor goes and she lets them over the years of the motor to hand. It hurts her to kid me personally. I'm more slower Pace no more. I can't I can't do that with this plan B with a great parents. They are going to be a great real.

18:50 The great mom great great mother she's coming on her kids. She know her and around fiance will xpc now but man, she's great mom right now and what they're doing it his if his son is the funniest thing you would ever see because this load the four year old little boy this

19:30 It's kind of like my mom has him really spoiled. Oh, yeah, that's how I roll out of control dog, if he if he's at my mom's house.

19:41 You can't tell me nothing even Missy don't want to listen nobody but it's you know, he's one of those kids that he's inquisitive so you can tell him to do something then he's but why?

19:55 And then you give him my answer he still like

19:58 Really I got to do that type of you know type of kid. He's he's one of those if he's going to make you

20:07 Sit down and explain to him why you're telling him not to do it.

20:12 And even if you tap you tell him to do what he if you if you turn your back he's going to do it. Anyway, he's one of them kids right there that he's got that he talks so it's funny watching him racist because it's like I like he said, you know, we told the kids don't you know, you wait till you have kids and when you can really have his just like you gave us the blues they going to give you the blues and it's going to be worse than what you gave us and with him is that he's getting it back. That is definitely he's not a bad kid, but he's definitely one of those are usually used to be Dennis the Menace when you like two or three with Jared when he was terrible terrible terrible.

21:12 You got better.

21:19 So what's an Empire?

21:21 So we are going to be sold to collections real quick romance. You can I know you need cuz you you still him to the closest we got to take we got to sit by each other and my brother is a Coleman. Yeah, he's a he don't want to sit by me right now just to kill him. I know it's getting the right now, but you going to be okay, but you go ahead. Yeah. I'm not over the top. But yeah, I move my daughter says I'm over the time she's a nurse. She said I go too far with the person. He's the person rhymes with the mask on in the car. People know he's either got here and it's hilarious to see people ride in the car by yourself with a man of storr. You are I had to get this out.

22:25 Quit doing that take your man stuff in the car by yourself you in the car, but instead of stopping by to go ahead. That's how I feel about OCD. I most I are out here if it wasn't for the fact that we was doing this interview with her and I didn't think you can hear me. I have my mask on right now, but I would definitely have my master and I know he's he's good. But you know, they his jump chance to him and everything else like that, but I'm just over the top. So I mean, I won't touch anything I can I carry hand sanitizer with me everywhere. I go in my pocket in my car. I have hand sanitizer. I have a wife I have you know, I care I have a mask on and I'll carry an extra money in my pocket just in case.

23:16 If you with me and you ride in the car with me, I keep those if you don't have money, I think it's I think some people are taking it seriously enough.

23:38 Is moss is this is my thing. And I think that's one of the issues that I have what it is to take it serious enough and you got all these people refusing to wear masks, but now that

23:50 You know 45 got it. He he he's he you know, which is I think it's going to hit a lot of people.

23:58 Harder, especially with you know, the president, you know coming down with the covalent and half his cabinet.

24:07 You know and his staff and I think it's more of a is really going to hit home now to people that today where I'm at and what's going on with the pandemic going on all the rides and going on you would think with all the Riders not being 6 feet apart not wearing masks that the numbers are on but the Numbers Never Rose and I'm pretty sure they did the Treaty would love to throw that out there that the numbers and reason but they never did I didn't hear about Italy so I look at light so I don't I'm I'm torn between the coldest thing because I see that I've seen all the protest but haven't seen the numbers rise. Like I thought they would yeah, I seen you three guys in a sandwich shops in the end table and when I'm getting older like the what the hell like I'm not I'm not understanding like Dynamics your house so I don't really I really don't know because nobody knows anything. I don't I just don't know if I can't really understand it.

25:06 CDC Jake the CDC flame how you get how you can get covid every other day. So they'll come out one minute. You can get it from touching something the next minute you can one minute is Airborne and next minute is not one minute. You need to stay, you know, six feet apart and then I was watching before I can't even did the interview. I'm sitting here with my wife and she watches Wendy Williams and telling her Wendy Williams come downstairs. Were they not at 6 CDC saying that you need to stay fifty feet apart? That's the best impossible. You're not going to be on the safe trip and feet apart from anybody.

25:43 And still be

25:45 Skip to go to the grocery store do what you need to do. That's just so impossibility. So it's after me a lot of it has to do with the the CDC how they changed things in I think this election is going to play a big part in you know, the best the vaccine for yeah, but I like to say this a baby can stick his hand in his mouth every day, baby. Don't think there is any malls and you would think that

26:15 I don't know man. I'm just I'm still torn. I just don't I don't know about the coach. I think it is serious and I have to take him because that's what the public wants you to have to take it. So where am I asking everything to make them feel comfortable in some part of this make you feel to be more comfortable when I do have my mask on but yeah, that's fine with that as far as

26:40 I mean

26:42 Yeah, I mean this is it is what it is. I think a lot of

26:48 A lot of things are going to play a part in this like I said with the upcoming election.

26:55 You know people get out there and vote.

26:58 I don't care if you know, I can't tell you who to vote for I'm not going to know my political views out there, but I can just say making vote count. That's all I can tell you make it roll count. Don't don't be somebody that's not going to sit there and vote make your vote count because it is some of this is going to depend on a lot of this is going to depend on your future well.

27:23 That's true. That's very true. I mean, I believe that me personally, I believe Trump is racist. I'm so can I can I say that am I allowed to say that I wish I was a racist.

27:43 Ketones in your face Everyday by he had a chance to denounce then I don't see why you couldn't do that like so that tells me a lot a lot about Trump right there. And that's why I say that the people are you know, the right people I don't think that everybody who votes for Donald Trump is a race, but I do believe every right to vote for Donald Trump. So that's just that's just my Outlook on police think that okay come out one way or another on these police shootings of unarmed black man. Come on say something one way or the other he show me he's going the other way when you know, he's more concerned with the Riders and what's going on with demo instead of why they're riding.

28:43 Giving them power. He wants he's going to start a war. I wouldn't be surprised if he's making it worse. They saying making, you know, make America great again. This ain't great right now everybody. This is not how I'm here. You're supposed to be getting great. I do not remember being this bad my lights on and remember the seventies in politics and ladies in politics, but I remember the 90's and now and I haven't seen it this bad in my life. I don't think some good things out of this with I have seen a lot of good things with a lot of white people and a lot of people telling them to get I seen right woman for Lyons, you know, your social media to stop the police from black protester, so I do think that

29:30 Why people more constant? They may see it that George Floyd that that George Clinton and woke up a lot of people and if you use white person that didn't bother you you wasn't with whoever whatever person human being didn't bother you anymore you to meet cuz that's something that's somebody's life. Why can it doesn't matter what color what color would if you were if I did not bother you with the George Florida Brianna say anything and everything should have come way before that. But that one right there back in March. Yeah, let that hurt that hurt them that one hurt America right? There just wasn't looking too good at after that people respond all over the world. That was that was very that was that was he and

30:29 That's not give me forgotten. What did Rihanna Taylor thing, you know?

30:34 I'm here you go to somebody's house not going to knock knocking. I don't believe they're not from what I've heard one person see if they heard it and it was 7 or just get me heard nothing.

30:48 And they don't get arrested for that you walking somebody in the laws in Kentucky if I'm not mistaken. If I'm not mistaken that it's a stand your ground state has stand-your-ground state, but it's at home store carry conceal state. So that's it, That's all we ever know not when you left we have guns in your home.

31:12 This is its capital Ventures. Do they going to have nothing to protect yourself? He should have shot and then go to jail for murder the go to jail for the bullet that mr. The bullets. They had her last pretty effed up to me. That's sad go to jail for not the ones in here that is sad but as a whole

31:41 Growing up in Auburn and being around all day on my life. You know, I work on the boat for the casino for 25 years. So go to Bernal near me. This is it was ignited still not bad. It's gotten worse since it hasn't gotten any worse than any other place. I believe I think it's all about what you make it, you know, you can it's not many jobs as it was here before. Yeah, that's a fact but as a whole Is Not A Bad City little town to stay in you can if you want to find trouble you can find trouble. If you don't if you want to stay out of trouble you can stay out of trouble as far as with our families, you know, like I said with us having different fathers with the same mother all our families together we still you know, there was nothing but love but for everybody either way and

32:38 Alton was just one of those places that no, I know we got the bad wrapping. It's in certain things, you know, kind of like, you know, East Saint Louis, you know close enough to eat st. Louis st. Louis, you know, it's all true. All that you know, what that's got nearly. That's the part that mostly we don't go to certain parts on the St. Louis anymore. I think the murder capital city is going to remember Chicago, Illinois nosy. That's that's crazy any time to hang out.

33:38 Tracey they need to stop at my life. He's been here all his life in coming back on but like to travel but I'm back home. If we have more about to tell you some more stories and I can tell you some more good stories about Alma but it's just one of those things where like I said, if it's if you wanted to find trouble you could actually find it. If you want to stay out of trouble. There's a lot of ways for you to stay out of trouble. Hurricanes down there. I don't want to deal with hurricanes, but you know somewhere somewhere warm and nice and I don't want a relay back on a marijuana is legal and I

34:38 All day I'm down for that. I'm going straight to the store. I'm going straight to the store. Shout out to identify cast last night with reason to doubt. They have me on there. It's a little local fire cast and a couple of guys I know do here and so if you ever get a chance to check them out reason to doubt you can get them on ID on Instagram is reason to doubt. They have a YouTube page reason to doubt podcast. So, you know kind of check them out. They they pretty good at what they do when they funny yeah.

35:19 How do you say you know, my name so

35:25 Alton has been older than good last night said it's one of those things were so you know, I have fun as a kid, but I've had in getting bad.

35:35 Yeah, it going to get in the bathroom but I but I love my city. Let me know I wouldn't want to go anywhere else leave your things you can do back in the 90s things is different about you that like Megamind is okay. It's just the gist unit Sonic all the different hangout spot. You act like all go to Prodigy. Just go to on a Friday or Saturday night and the next thing you know, you drive over to Oakwood. If I mean, you can't do that anymore greatest decade ever 90s was the greatest decade are Cowboys Dallas Cowboys win the football Super Bowl, I mean

36:22 I'm a die-hard Cowboys Cowboys playing right now. We doing this podcast on my basement. Y'all can't see it, but it's cowboy stuff everywhere, but I'm not yet. But yeah, yeah, I'm itching right now cuz I'm not a Cowboys fan. I'm getting right now just being down here. So it's you know, it is what it is. He's a Cowboys fan. I love my brother. I never hold that against me right now. We do suck right now, but don't hold that against me. We are bad right now, but it ain't even say we going to get better. I don't I don't I don't trust him or him already, but that's beside the point. We talked about that. They don't have a bad day right? I got you. I got you.

37:18 So my mom's my mom she was a single mother. She was hard on us when she had to be you also saying she she she gave us she gave us the background to be me and even though you know, our father's world is not like a or father's going in early, but you know that, okay, I'll give you that. You know, what is the backbone? She is my backbone. She's always going to have my back from no matter what and she's to me. She's a she's a she's the love of my life. I love Mom. I can never you know,

38:06 I can never be I can be mad at her upset with her, but she could call me and be like I need you to do this like my mom on my way to work when you got time, cuz I'm passing fix my life. I'm passing do this but she gave us everything that she had when we were younger so I can never be ungrateful for what she did and how she raised us cuz she was funny. She was time. She was turned. Remember. I remember she took me a little boy hit me on the head with a lunch box and I'll seniors old. You know who has Bible came home crying mama took me out to Alton Acres knocking that lady's door and told her your son and my son need to fight cuz he he made myself. I would I was about 10 11 years old not going to beat him up. If I didn't use it with my ass when I got home.

39:06 Boys doing nothing to make me fall and everybody was there was that good parents and I think it was great. I loved it. I left it just that was a lesson talk right now about that. You don't you don't you don't have to push you around after saying that for yourself and believe this when they tell you a black mothers can throw a shoe up the steps and around the corner on my God. It happened. I've got hit with a couple of Jews up the steps and around the corner but leave it can happen very quickly before you say, I love you to death, but she said she love me she going to hug and everything. She don't never never never believe that story when they tell you it hurts is hurting him more than hurt you cuz it didn't it didn't do shoes hurt, especially.

40:06 On the corner you catch you in the back of the head cuz you didn't make it up the steps quick enough them shoes hurt. Ya Mama Was a Rolling Stone from Lake Stevens to raise to great man. So love you Mom. I love you, Mom.

40:29 Give a shout out to the all the Walkers all the Northerners everybody in this here that my aunt Faye for putting us on putting me on to this podcast and wish my sisters from my mama said she could have been here to do you do it you would have really yeah, I probably would have really had it has been a really different experience with her being here.

40:50 Acetyl acc's

40:53 She's blunt and when I say she's blood I mean she's a lunch all the everything.