I'm home sick from school today and was doing the requisite Facebook check when I noticed that a friend of mine who has recently and temporarily moved back to town had written something about rediscovering Fort Wayne and how the downtown is actually kind of cool. Of course, that was met with all kinds of derision from his other friends. My favorite was, "I'm sorry, but there's nothing cool about Fort Wayne." That was written by a person who had lived here as a high schooler but, I think, not since.
I am so sick of people acting like are only about 10 cool places to live in the world (you've heard 'em - San Francisco, New York City, Denver, Portland, Seattle, etc.) and that if you choose anywhere else you are a loser. After wasting a lot of time making mental lists of what I didn't like about this city, I'm becoming more and more convinced that you can enjoy living just about anywhere if you have the right attitude. As my dad used to put it when we would whine as little kids that there was nothing to do, "Only boring people get bored." Once I stopped complaining and started actually trying to enjoy Fort Wayne, I found I really liked it.
I am also sick of people hometown bashing. It is SO immature. And how can you judge a town you never lived in as an adult? ANYPLACE seems lame if your only options are the football game and Applebee's (or, in my hometown's case, Round the Clock, a restaurant that wasn't actually open 'round the clock). Plus, by the way, I feel sorry for people who spent high school hating on their city.
As Amy would say, "Live your life" - and spend less time bashing places other people live (and like).
I like how this rant is totally passive aggressive. The person I'm writing about is not once of my Facebook friends and will probably never know this blog exists!
ReplyDeleteWhat a wimp I am sometimes. :)
- Brady
I agree (not about you being a wimp!). You know who hates the town they grew up in? Seventeen year olds. You know who learns to appreciate and, shockingly, even like it? Adults.
ReplyDeleteYou don't have to live there your entire life and never dip your toe in the pool of the world, but if you have an open mind, you might just find something cool about Fort Wayne. Yes, even Fort Wayne, which has such an annoying inferiority complex, but that may be the post for another day ...
Hey it is really cool that you guys have a blog!
ReplyDeleteI can't believe how much I agree with this post. Well, of course I agree with it as I still live in my own hometown. I may have already told you this story but one time a guy at my law school I barely knew insisted on telling me how lame I was for getting a job anywhere in Indiana. As you can imagine, the unsoliticited opinion didn't go over well.
Hey Michelle!
ReplyDeleteThanks for commenting! The blog was Kelly's idea, and I love posting on it.
That is so obnoxious about the law school guy. I mean, isn't it so middle school to build yourself up by cutting other people and things down?
I guess we can just feel sorry for people like that and how much fun they miss out on. :)
This is an awesome post! :) And you made miss your dad's positive personality a bit. Ironically, I couldn't really even tell you when/how I met your dad, but I can tell you that he always had a positive attitude and a smile on his face! :) Something I admire!
ReplyDelete