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This post struck a chord with me as I'm from the central NY region, not too far from the OP. I get back to my hometown every year or two and the decline is mor
by rjdagost 13y ago
This post struck a chord with me as I'm from the central NY region, not too far from the OP. I get back to my hometown every year or two and the decline is more apparent every trip. Everything from my youth- the places I worked part-time, the schools I went to, the places I used to hang out at, the major local employers, they're all gone or in major decline. Many houses are boarded up, abandoned, and are being slowly reclaimed by nature. Most of my school friends have moved away, and most of those that have stayed around have basically wasted away. In my own lifetime I have seen long-term economic decline happen and it has scarred me in a way that is difficult to articulate.
- cmbaus 13y agoI'm glad you liked it. I believe I (and other people from the area) look at the world differently than those from more prosperous regions. There is a constant thought in the back of my head that this could all be temporary. Boom towns go bust. Industries go bust. But I also think I've left opportunity on the table because of my fear. I've come to realize that the difficult part of life is balancing the upside with the downside -- knowing when to be conservative and when to be risky. If I could give advice to anyone leaving school or home for the first time it would be: remain cognizant of the downside, but don't let it prevent you from taking advantage of the upside if it presents itself to you.
- userulluipeste 13y agoI grow up in a place that went through a steep decline (after the collapse of USSR). The good thing is that in any decline there is allays a bottom line (although I suppose that most people aren't prepared to acknowledge this idea, especially when it's personal in some way). Things adjust a bit, that's all.