Dear New York – I’m Sorry. I’ll Hate You After I’ve Visited

Of all the posts on this silly little blog, none generates more passion and response than this one. What started out as a tongue-in-cheek take on regional (or in this instance, city) pride, turned into a real discussion on the biases that people have when it comes to geography.

You’re from New York? Well, hell, friend – you must be rude, aggressive, always in a hurry, wary of strangers, too busy to connect, greedy, overestimating your own worth, and snooty too boot.

From Boston? You’re obnoxious, liberal, self-flagellating, New York envying, elitist, clannish, and overbearing as all get out.

From Atlanta? Well, you certainly have a rebel flag flying somewhere, a cross you’re just itching to burn, a slovenly trailer that you live in, a pick-up truck, an inbred family, and the personal hygiene of dyspeptic yak. Not to mention you’re stupid, slow, backwards, potentially retarded, and your sports teams all suck.

What’s that? You say you’re from Green Bay? Sorry, but the rest of the nation knows that the “Midwest” is actually just one big conspiracy put forward by Canada to make us think you’re American so we’ll pay for your health care and heating bills.

And God help you if you’re from California. Not only are you broke, but you’re probably an illegal immigrant, or a lawyer, or an actor, or some other form of pestilence that insidiously wants to destroy the moral fabric of our national culture and turn everyone into pinko commies or flaming queens.

The point is, we’ve all seen the TV shows. We know what you’re about, no matter where you come from.

Now, chances are, you’ve just read the above paragraphs and gasped in horror. At least you did when you read about where you’re from. When you read about the other places, you might have just nodded your head and said, “Yup. So true.”

Perhaps that comes from experience. Perhaps it comes from culture. Heck – it probably comes from TV and movies if nothing else.

Point is – while there may be some truth to it, it ain’t all truth. It’s the worst thing: just enough truth to ring true married to a whole lot of wrong.

So let me be the first to say it: I’m sorry. For the generalizations. For the stereotyping. For the uninformed bashing of those places to which I’ve never been except through the magic of media or someone else’s memories. I’ve judged you unfairly, and as more than one commenter on the original post said: “Come to New York first and then hate us. It’s ok, we can take it.”

From now on, that’s just what I’ll do. I’ll visit first, then hate. So much nicer that way.