Pamela Chan, BCFamily.ca/Editorial
If the universe really can talk to us, I’ve been getting a verbal smack down lately. Or should I say my community has taken the abuse.
It’s so congested with traffic.
The lifestyle is so busy.
The people are friendlier where I live.
I wouldn’t live there. Ever.
Your weather is worse.
You get more rain. It’s a statistical fact.
You’re so far away from everyone else. I mean – nobody else lives there, do they?
You live on the edge (of something better).
You live in urban sprawl.
You don’t have parks nearby.
The lifestyle is stressful.
Housing is too expensive there.
The yuppy lifestyle is what matters – still.
People there just care about conspicuous consumption and shallow concerns.
They’re caught up in the drive to get ahead.
They’re out of touch with what matters.
People who want to live in a natural environment/off the grid don’t live there.
I couldn’t live there. I’d rather live in Vancouver. (Even though it’s prohibitively expensive.)
Your community’s a bedroom community.
The only possible construction there is condo building.
But people will work elsewhere.
What else would you want to build there?
History – what history?
Your area’s not good for seniors.
Or single people.
Or couples.
I’ve never been there.
Sorry I never go there.
Thanks but I just never get out that way (even when I drive by).
Gee – you must be wondering where I live. It sounds pretty awful, wouldn’t you say? Doesn’t it sound like the type of community you either escape or would never choose as a home base?
Recently I’ve been hearing and reading about these unattractive aspects of my community. I notice these comments because the concept of building and supporting your community is a key focus for me on BCFamily.ca If you’ve been talking down my area in writing or to me personally, don’t get your Gortex in a knot now that I’m writing my take.
No cue for the article links here. I don’t do “passive aggressive” postings.
But do take a number if you want to claim copyright for my list!
People who know me, or follow the fine print on BCFamily.ca, will know that I live in the Tri-Cities/Coquitlam area of the Lower Mainland. (I include Pit Meadows and Maple Ridge in the mix as I’m often out that way.) If you live around here and thought the list I wrote up was pretty outrageous, you might be thinking “what?!”.
Yes – “what!” indeed.
Lately there’s been just a bit too much “judgey” commenting going on about my region and (guess what) yours too. All in the name of “just telling like it is” and being honest, of course. Naturally!
If you publish content online in a blog or you’d like to write a guest post, tackling the urban myths taking pot shots at your community, get in touch! I’ve got some questions and ideas I can send your way to help inspire your writing process.
The next post that I will publish will be mine. If you would like to write about Coquitlam too, don’t worry. More than one voice is always a good thing.
You can comment about this posting using the comment function below or on the BCFamily.ca Facebook page. Your contribution matters so don’t be shy!