Personal Narrative: I Grew Up A Suburban Neighborhood In Southeastern Louisiana

Hello, reading over your discussion about growing up in Inglewood California brings to mind my African American co-worker who talks about living in Compton. She tells us often how growing up in that area you had to carry either a gun or a knife and be on guard whenever you go anywhere. She is a very dear friend of mine and she reminds me she is a changed person from the way she used to be. Her mother still lives in California but in a better neighborhood now but she is planning a trip to see her mother. My friend often tells me years ago she and I would have never gotten along because she had so much anger inside her. I am glad my friend did get out of that neighborhood alive and somehow found in her heart to not keep anger inside.

Growing up in the Chicago area was a great experience for me, I was always a good kid but I had always struggled in school. The reason that I had a hard time in school was that I had A.D.D which was the cause of my distraction. Entering Pritzker College Prep was a different experience for me because I was overwhelmed, the reason as to why I felt overwhelmed was because of the amount of homework we got. I ended up spending nights where I would do my homework and wouldn’t get a sufficient amount of sleep and would also cause me to fall asleep in class. My grades started to drop which caused me to stop caring in school, so I also decided to just stop doing my homework and it caused a decrease in my grades.

Having lived in the southern coastal region of Texas I have seen many of the beauties that nature offers, but many of these beauties also bring complicated needs to those they effect. I've discovered the power and magnitude of lightning storms I've been entranced by the soft crashing of the waves on the coast but the most beautiful and perhaps the most devastating phenomena I have ever viewed are hurricanes. Hurricanes have swept through my home front on many occasions, these powerful giants drift through towns decimating all in their paths breaking trees, ripping roofs off houses, and bringing with them a flood like no other. The high water and gale force winds that comprise these natural wrecking balls can cripple families and in my community

I stayed there for a yr and I didn't like it, I wanted to go home after one week of me being

grew up in Chicago, Illinois, a beautiful city surrounded by violence and controversy by the media. I found things more simple when I was kid growing up here, there wasn't much to worry about but as I got older things became more complex here. The sounds of the " L "' or as you know it as, The Train, and the roaring sounds of cars passing by my house made me feel alive while growing up and as a matter of fact still does. You could wake up in the morning and see the vibrant blue skies being pierced by the skyscrapers and see other kids playing ball or riding their bikes. When it was summer time I would play ins sprinklers or go downtown and play in the fountains with my family. Of course, like most big cities I had to watch my back while growing up because you never knew what somebody was up to. It's weird really growing up here because you never know what's going to happen next , wether it's a good thing or a bad thing. All I can really say about growing up in Chicago is that if I had the chance to redo it, I'd do if a million times.

We’re just a group of minorities trying to make a change in the world.” A phrase I would use when someone asked about my community. We were the eastside of San Antonio, a community to most that contained drop-outs, minorities, criminals, gangs, government assistance and ignorance. We’re the area everyone avoided or spoke of with disgust on their tongue. Our community learned early on that we were on our own against the city and the country. Because of being ostracized from the whole city, no one truly saw the pride and beauty that could be found on the eastside. We’ve made it on our own and thrived through the troubles and pain our community holds. That is what has made me who I am know. I learned to fight through my troubles no matter who

One of the hardest things about moving to Little Rock for college is knowing that I will not get to enjoy southern home cooked meals everyday. My grandma’s crispy pork chops with fried potatoes, and creamy macaroni and cheese and freshly picked green beans, from the garden in the backyard, or her homemade vegetable soup and buttered cornbread really screams my name as I stand in line for a standard cafeteria meal. Not having her cooking available to me everyday is definitely a struggle. Food is the center of my whole family. Food is what brings us together. Not just ordinary food though, no. It is southern home cooked food.

I have grown up in a pleasant neighborhood filled with color and culture. I explore my community and bask in the comfort offered by its members. It isn’t a perfect place like some other neighborhoods, but it has its ups and downs like any other. Edgewater, the name of my neighborhood, gives the youth a vast amount of freedom, but also the responsibility of being self aware with themselves and others. Edgewater has helped me create new, diverse friends which has helped form my personality and how I perform around people. This neighborhood is more like a family, considering I have been living here all of my life. I have seen this neighborhood change throughout the thirteen years I have lived here, each from different perspectives. Even as it

We always lived in apartments, considering the rent and utilities were lower than a house. This meant that I never had a backyard to play in or that I had much privacy. Housing also affected my family’s health as a result of the people living above us making noise at night. The constant noise made it hard to sleep at night. The location of the town that I grew up in was average, in terms of safety and the quality of life it provided the community. However, we were situated next to a town that is well known for gangs, drugs and the occasional shooting. Eventually the accessibility to weed and drugs was there and in high school countless friends smoked and partook in risky behaviors. As well, violence became a safety issue for me when individuals from a neighboring town crossed over to ours looking for trouble. The town we lived in was safe, but we were still surrounded by other towns that were not. Here, the urban environment was structured to segregate us by our race. Most of the North Plainfield population is Hispanic, White and African American, respectively. The conflicts between neighboring towns that had greater African American populations that had turf wars with the Hispanic populations in our town is also something worth mentioning.

Before, I lived in a nice quiet neighborhood on Knollwell Way. When we lived on Knollwell, there were 6 of us, Dad, Mom, Me, Truman, Grandma, and Grandpa. After that, my home moved to The Woods Drive, a large community of apartments. This time, there were 4 of us, Dad, Mom, me, and Truman. On Knollwell, the house we lived in, we owned. We could make as much noise as we want. We could host lots of parties. We could decorate the house however we wanted. To live in the Woods Apartments, we had to make some changes. We didn’t own the house anymore. We couldn’t make noise without getting complaints. We couldn’t host as many parties as we wanted. On Knollwell, the neighborhood was always quiet. There would be the occasional robbery, or house break

Growing up in Crescent City where not much goes on, it is very important to keep yourself around positive people and stay away from the wrong crowd. I am blessed to have family that cares about my future, because if i didn't i'm not sure where I would be right now.

Dirty streets. Graffiti in building’s wall. Destroyed property everywhere. Metal bars in windows trying to protect their own families. Groups of people smoking and possible doing illegal things. It was never safe to be by yourself during the day and even worse to be by yourself during the night. Through my window, I can always see a group of kids always playing basketball outside. Wanted to join them but always afraid that I was too different from them. Never had a friend to be with and I was too afraid to make one. However, I had a brother that always had my back. Since he had mine I always had his back no matter what it was, it doesn't matter what the situation was. My brother and I were always together playing in the back yard safe while

I’ve always lived in towns that epitomize suburbia. I’ve had everything and more within a five mile drive. I come from an average-sized family of four, go to a school with good academics and an even better football team, and live in a nice neighborhood. Being brought up in all of this, it becomes very easy to be caught up in the mediocrity of life, settling with what you have rather than striving to better yourself.

It feels like yesterday I was bringing Nola home from the hospital she was all small and needy. Now I am about to get her prepared for her first year of college. The years have really flown by! Nola has grown into a young adult right before my eyes. She has improved physically, cognitively, socially, emotionally, and in the area of moral development.

On a fateful Fourth of July in 2014 I was sure my future life would reside in Chicago, Illinois. That city was a major part in my past and I would like it to be apart of my future too. The aesthetic beauty of it made me love the place.