In the suburbs.

In the suburbs I
I learned to drive
And you told me we'd never survive
Grab your mother's keys we're leavin'

    At this point in my life I am not a fan of the 'burbs.  For many reasons.  First, an aside.

    This blog originally had high and lofty goals of being my breakthrough with me becoming the next Paul Krugman or David Brooks.  Until I get really inspired and take some more time to write better or get my Masters in English or Writing or something snobbier; this blog will be a bit shorter, more opinionated, and rougher around the edges.

You always seemed so sure
That one day we'd fight in
In a suburban world
your part of town gets minor
So you're standin' on the opposite shore
But by the time the first bombs fell
We were already bored
We were already, already bored

    Well, back to the topic at hand.  The suburbs are in many ways selfish and destructive.  The suburbs lack diversity.  Usually a 'burb is very homogeneous.  All the houses cost approximately the same amount, meaning the people are in the same income/tax brackets.  The yards are basically the same size.  Often times the architecture is even similar.  The classic 'burb will usually be composed of numerous different developments ranging from Stoney Brooke, to Stony Pointe, to New Pointe, and Pointe Brook.  All of these developments have a fancy entrance, which makes an imaginary gate, so people not a part of the latest Pointe will stay away.  These developments are all about exclusion of the have nots and inclusion of the haves.  People get comfy in their "safe" little community.  But they lack any push to go out and see the rest of the community.   The good and the bad parts...

Sometimes I can't believe it
I'm movin' past the feeling
Sometimes I can't believe it
I'm movin' past the feeling again

Kids wanna be so hard
But in my dreams we're still screamin' and runnin' through the yard
And all of the walls that they built in the seventies finally fall
And all of the houses they build in the seventies finally fall
Meant nothin' at all
Meant nothin' at all
It meant nothin'

     Another thing that gets me about these 'burbs is how they all look identical.  Take a 'burb in Cleveland, Denver, or someplace in Cali.  Its all the same idea.  You've got your housing section and then you have you damn strip mall with huge swaths of asphalt and big box stores.  You'd think living  hundreds and thousands of miles away would make a difference to some extent, but other than changes in sunshine and natural scenery it's all the same.  You've got your everything store like Target or Wal-Mart, some electronic store like Best Buy, clothing stores like Gap or Old Navy, and then some home improvement place like Lowe's.  

Sometimes I can't believe it
I'm movin' past the feeling
Sometimes I can't believe it
I'm movin' past the feeling and into the night

So can you understand?
Why I want a daughter while I'm still young
I wanna hold her hand
And show her some beauty
Before this damage is done
 

  My last rant about the Suburbs is the whole urban sprawl thing and its detriment to the environment.  First, urban sprawl is eating up our natural landscape.  If more isn't done to prevent and discourage the the spread of this virus the vast swaths of American will be full of corny gated communities and strip malls.  Really, is that what we want with this great country that we've been blessed with?  Do we want the foot hills of the Smoky Mountains carpeted with developments?  In addition to the destruction of land, these 'burbs are usually designed so people work in the city and then DRIVE home to their 'burb.  This means people are wasting hours upon hours of their lives being stuck in rush hour fleeing the city in the evenings.  In addition to this the amount of pollution created is awful.  Regardless of whether or not the climate is changing, fossil fuels are not in infinite supply.  And the stuff coming out of the tailpipe of the latest SUV or nolongerminivan can't be healthy.  

But if it's too much to ask, it's too much to ask
Then send me a son

Under the overpass
In the parking lot we're still waiting
It's already passed
So move your feet from hot pavement and into the grass
Cause it's already passed
It's already, already passed!

   So, I'm gonna try to bring this all together.  All of these negative aspects focus on two central ideas.  Suburbs lack the connection to community and all the diversity that should go along with a healthy community.  

Sometimes I can't believe it
I'm movin' past the feeling
Sometimes I can't believe it
I'm movin' past the feeling again

I'm movin' past the feeling
I'm movin' past the feeling

In my dreams we're still screamin'
We're still screamin'
We're still screamin'