This is Our F@#*en City — A Tale of City and Town Pride

Four years ago, Hurricane Sandy barreled its way up the eastern seaboard and smashed into various parts of the Atlantic Coast, ravaging homes and tearing apart the lives of thousands of people. I had just moved back to New York two months earlier, though at that time, I was in a place that was first affected by this devastating storm: Jamaica.

It was my honeymoon.

Just four days in, my wife and I faced our first stormy conditions as a married couple. Literally, not figuratively. That Wednesday, October 24th, we came back to our room to find a note on our bed that said a major tropical storm was going to hit the island. Fortunately for us, it appeared it would hit the eastern side. We were in Negril on the western end.

The cycle of worry started in New York — with friends and family texting and emailing me while I sipped strawberry daiquiris and body surfed in the Caribbean Sea. The worry then shifted 180° as we began to fear for our friends and loved ones. Sandy set its sights on the coastal parts of the New York City area.

Towns like Long Beach (Long Island), Belle Harbor, Mantaloking and Sea Bright were right in its path. The storm’s vicious winds thrust sea water, debris and anything it could find on shore, destroying homes and leaving victims in its wake. These were extremely tough times.

Hurricane Sandy hit home for me because close friends of mine lost their houses — and some had to start over completely from scratch. Imagine all of your belongings — and in the most dire of cases, some of your family members — gone forever.

Time to completely rebuild.

I knew New York and New Jersey would bounce back. We always do. New Yorkers are extremely resilient and willing to fight for what’s theirs. The best part is, four years later, many Long Islanders, New Jerseyans and New Yorkers did bounce back. Sadly, some people were displaced and couldn’t. But they continue to fight, never giving up on the dream of once again reclaiming what is theirs.

The Significance of Places

The four-year anniversary of this storm made me think about my hometown, the area where I grew up and the significance of places. I’ll always believe the people make the place but places are special, too. I don’t know how many special places there are. Maybe everyone thinks where they’re from is special. And maybe — they’re right.

But how many special places are there where people would give anything for their land? Put their life on the line for their city and their fellow sister or brother?

I think of big cities like Boston, New York, Chicago, San Francisco and Cleveland. Smaller cities like Charleston, SC; Tuscaloosa, Alabama; Madison Wisconsin and Flagstaff, Arizona. Small towns like Cayucos, California; Aynor, South Carolina; Newtown, Connecticut and Joplin, Missouri. Places people would die for and defend. Places with indomitable spirits.

Where life means something.

A Marathon and Resolve

I had an interesting 22 or so months in Boston. I moved to “The Hub” when I was only 23-years old. Not long after I turned 25, I was out. Just wasn’t my town. I was meant to move on and the proverbial writing was on the wall.

It was time to go southbound, so off I embarked to Athens, Georgia to attend graduate school at the University of Georgia. This decision ended up being one of the best I’ve ever made. I met my wife, grew a tremendous amount as a man and received a great education for free. I was surrounded by amazing people in a Bohemian place that’s as comfortable as a pair of worn-in jeans.

Yet, I had a lot of fun in Boston and I think it is one of the great world cities. There’s a tremendous amount of charm and beauty in Boston and a lot of awesome people. Its most special quality is the pride shared by its residents. Bostonians — New Englanders — you see, they’d give their life for this place. It’s extremely special and with so much history, who could blame them?

Maybe you’ve seen this above video. Even if you’ve never watched a game of baseball in your life, I think you can sympathize and be inspired by the words of David Ortiz. The video above is of his, er, thoughts, following the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013. It was a very tense time in Boston with people on edge, looking for hope and community in order to feel strong.

When David Ortiz talks, New Englanders listen. And on this day, he summed up what many Bostonians felt. The best part is, any of us could understand and feel this way when we feel someone is trying to take away our freedoms and damage the place we love. Ortiz’ message was simple:

Don’t mess with us. ’Cause this place means something. And we’ll come right back even stronger. And kick your ass.

The Pride is in the People

I get hundreds of emails a month from Medium readers from all over the world — places like Bangalore, India; Sydney, Australia; Vienna, Austria; Milan, Italy; I could go on. I’ve been fortunate to visit some beautiful countries and places. One day, I hope to see them all. The world is a majestic place.

Chances are, you’re mighty proud of where you’re from. Hopefully you’re doing what you can to enhance your town and continue the tradition of making it a place where people call “home.”

Places are special. Places mean something. People are attracted to opportunities, growth, development and a litany of things. Many of us simply long to be somewhere that matters. Where the people are salt of the earth. Where local diners, barber shops and bakeries thrive because they’re tended to by owners and workers who care.

People who live to love and uphold all that makes where they live great.

I’ve thought about this a lot over the past 15 months as I’ve struggled to adjust to my new environs of Atlanta, Georgia. Atlanta is not a bad place. I’m just not sure that it’s my place. You see, people make the place, but places sharpen the steel of our exterior and mold us into who we are. We draw attachments to towns like New Orleans and Ann Arbor, Michigan because they give life to who we are.

Jack Nicholson’s brilliant character, Frank Costello, in the movie The Departed, famously said, “I don’t want to be a product of my environment, I want my environment to be a product of me.”

It works both ways. People make the place but places make the people. We rise and fall with the good times and bad. Places make us who we are. And we are given this extraordinary gift to make our towns and cities a reflection of our souls.

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