Blogger Party

I'm from Brooklyn, New York. East Flatbush area to be exact. I lived in Brooklyn for the majority of my life. The times I didn't live there were the years 7-12 (Mt. Vernon, Weschester County), my high school years (Ardmore, PA) and my college years (Ithaca, NY). Whenever I had extended school breaks I always returned to Brooklyn.

The thing I loved most about living in the city was how independent it made me. As a young child I went to the store by myself, I walked to school by myself, and I got around by myself. By the time I was in junior high school I could pretty much make it around all of Brooklyn. I would ride my bike or simply hop on a bus. I thought all kids my age all over the world were doing this. Then I went to high school.

Ardmore, PA is about ten minutes away from Philly. However, Ardmore is no city. For the first time in my life I had to ride a school bus to get to school. While in Brooklyn I rode the city bus to school. Now here I was 14 years old and getting on the cheese bus for the first time in my life.

The weirdest part living in suburbia for the first time was that I was pretty much a hostage until I turned 16. At sixteen people were starting to drive and get cars. Before that to do anything we had to rely on parental units to give out rides at their discretion. It was kind of hard to ask for a ride to the party where you know there would drinking and smoking, if you get my drift.

I'm just saying all of this because I would never want to grow up in suburbia exclusively. More importantly I don't want my children to grow up in the suburbs. I guess it should be said I don't have any children yet. So my opinion may change once I do. I just don't want to have drive them everywhere and do everything for them. I just don't want to do it and I think they should be able to do for themselves.

Some people will say but the suburbs are safer and more quiet. To them I say the burbs are quieter but what makes quiet better? As for safer, I don't know that that is true. Obviously crime statistics would say suburbia is safer. I would argue though that areas of the city are bad and as long as you steer clear of those areas you're fine.

On the other hand, it wasn't until I moved to Ardmore that I first saw people doing whippets (nitrous oxide cartridges) and cocaine amongst other things. I'm not saying the city doesn't have drugs and alcohol, but Ardmore introduced me to a lot of different vices.

Posted in cities | parenting | suburbia D Weezy's blog | | | | 375 reads