Good morning/afternoon/evening,
Annoyance of the Day: People who post only pictures of themselves on websites that only contain places that should be covered in public.
This is typical in the gay community; I'm not so sure about you breeders. Since some gay men are still closeted, they are afraid that someone they know may be browsing a gay dating site and see their picture, so they only post pictures of their sensitive areas. Really? How and why has this become socially acceptable, for god's sake? If this is your only selling point, I'm certainly not buying. Put on some pants, and grow a pair - hopefully, this set will actually work.
So, back on topic, this came up on New Year's Eve. In mingling with people I had just met, the topic of where I grew up came up. I explained I was from Atlanta and immediately, I got the standard question, "What's it like there," which is quickly followed by, "Do you like it there?" Both questions are pretty vapid, by my standards, and any answer you give them is pretty subjective.
Maybe this comes from my experience at moving cross country now, three times, but a city, state, country, what have you - is just an imaginary box on the map. I will conceed that they may be some culture differences in the country areas, but when we're talking about major cities within the domestic United States, there isn't much distinction. Before I delve further into this topic, I want to clarify that I'd like to compare apples and apples. Please don't think I'm saying that Los Angeles, CA is the same as Eutaw, Alabama (pronounced You-Taw, like the state - yes, laugh please, I do).
So, cities are what you make them. No one can propose to have, "Done everything possible" in the city that they currently live. I've lived in Los Angeles Metro for a total of 6 years; I have yet to go to the Hollywood Bowl, Sanita Anita Racetrack, any Indian casino, visit Catalina Island, or even visit Rodeo Drive. And this is shit off the top of my head. The local news stations always pop up with great things to go do, that I have no idea are in my backyard - Japanese gardens, local plays/musicals, concerts, and just general activities to pass time.
I'm trying to establish the premise that using cultural attractions as the reasons for disliking a certain city, or area, are superficial. As an inhabitant of any area, you have the opportunity to do whatever you want - you may have to search for it, but they are there. Expecting it to come to you, will lead to disappointment.
So, to answer the question, yes, I liked it in Atlanta and it's just like it is here, just with a little more rain, and 1 snow day a year. It's a city, with people and different personalities. When I was 17, I couldn't wait to get the hell out of Atlanta. I ran, far and fast, to California. Has my life had a massive shift since moving out here? Being honest with myself, no.
When I first moved out here, I thought, I could be myself and not be stiffled. Looking back, with 20/10 vision, I wasn't stifling in Atlanta. I allowed me to stifle myself. The people there didn't do it to me; I let my perception of the society of the south do it to me. I do, rather like the weather of Southern California, and I don't think I can live away from the beach again. These will keep me near a coast, but if I had to move back to Atlanta. I'd find a way to be happy.
Just because things aren't perfectly what you want, doesn't give you a right to be miserable. They're imaginary lines on a map, drawn by history and old, dead, men. This is a short life, don't let "the city you live in" become and excuse for you to not try at life.
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