By Melissa Garza
****Please note: Unless otherwise mentioned, the majority of this article when referencing Georgia is going to be referring to Atlanta and the nearby surrounding areas and likewise when referencing Massachusetts, I will be referring to Springfield and the nearby surrounding areas.*****
At least, once a year my husband and I have the pleasure of going to Georgia to spend time with his family. He has the best family in the world and Georgia is my favorite state. In so many ways, it reminds me of the best parts of my childhood.
I have lived in Massachusetts my whole life. When I was a kid, I lived in a small town called Ludlow. Despite, my more than troublesome childhood the atmosphere of the town was always pleasant. I could sit underneath the large tree in the front yard, no one would be blasting their radios, no idiots sprucing up their cheap Hondas with loud mufflers and no honking horns to be heard. There were just a few bikers revving their engines but it was few and far between.
In my entire child years, I remember so few people be fighting outside with their spouses. It was such an anomaly, in fact, that I clearly recall the times that it did happen. In public people didn’t swear, they said excuse me to get by and they were kind to their hostesses and cashiers. When my mother and I would drift to Springfield to go to the malls, the stores were clean and the people friendly. You didn’t often see people yelling or pushing people around. You didn’t see mothers leaving their screaming toddlers in aisles as they wandered in their store. Then again, there were a lot less 16 year old mothers back then too.
Things have changed in Massachusetts. Now there is a massive amount of people who are just scum and who are
ruining it for the rest of society. It’s like the guests of the ultimate douchebag and King of Ghetto, Maury Povich have taken over. People are so much louder; they’re more flamboyant and more demanding of attention. These are the folks that talk as if they need the whole world to hear them. They obviously lack self-esteem and personal security but their obnoxious behavior is unacceptable. These are the people who blast their crappy music so loud that the cars next to them are forced to hear whatever they’re playing. They insult their spouses and their families in public. They get into fistfights over a beer or God forbid its Black Friday. A few years back, I heard a couple people at a candle party that I went to discussing how they were ready to push, shove, and “do what’s needed” to get those deals. Everyone laughed seemingly in approval. I spoke up and said, “You’re joking, right?”
One of the women said, “No. You either push or you get pushed.” This woman has a child. All I could think was “This poor kid.” I called my husband and had him pick me up right there. I just couldn’t hear about this animalistic behavior to save a few dollars. How far have we devolved?
Now sadly, aside from a few other couples, my husband and I do not socialize. We don’t do outside parties because we don’t want to be part of this type of society and certainly don’t want these types in our home. Sometimes I think a good percentage of the people in Springfield are on meth or crack or some sort of substance that hurts their brain enough to take away the part that cares for other people.
I remember last year when a man stole all of the toys from a hospital for children suffering from cancer. Where is the morality? Where is the humanity? Why so much selfishness?
On a daily people I run into these folks that have a chip on their shoulder and a sense of entitlement in their heart. If you have ever seen Hardcore Pawn, the patrons that the show focuses on are the ones that I’m talking about. They walk in demanding more money than a piece of jewelry is worth and when they’re told ‘no,’ rather than walk out in a dignified manner they become even more demanding, they refuse to leave and begin to threaten everyone. Now, I’m sure elements of this program are staged, but nonetheless, people like this are real and there are an overwhelming amount of them in Springfield.
They try to act tough but only show themselves for the Ghetto Trash that they are. These are the same people who show up at the grocery store at 11 pm with 5 kids who run through the aisles unwatched, purchase steaks and expensive foods, pay with their EBT card and then yell at the cashier when there is cash left due. Where is the shame? Now, I believe the welfare program can be a positive thing and that a good portion of individuals who need it should be able to acquire it, but living near Springfield MA, I am confronted daily by people who are dressed in designer clothing, have perfect hair and nails, carrying iPhones yet milking the system. That irks me.
Where I live in MA, I’m constantly faced with Ghetto Trash. Across the street from where I work there is a liquor store which brings the losers in by droves. On my break or lunch, I’m usually approached at least once a month by one of these disgusting individuals who find it completely fine to spark up a conversation by swearing or making some sort of sexual implication.
Even when not at work, simply when driving down the street, my husband and I deal with people who cut us off and then honk their horn and swear at us. At the grocery store or at the mall, there’s always an idiot who is either screaming at the cashier or hitting on them.
It is rare that I see people holding the door for the elderly and never do I see people return their carriages at stores to their designated locations.
Now, I live in Chicopee and work very close in the city of Springfield. It’s a place where a large group of people are ruining it for everyone else.
This week has really shown me what a good town can be. I miss walking into a restaurant where both the waitress and customers are equally pleasant. I miss the ease of walking in a mall where everyone is just quiet and polite.
I went into Chick Fil-A twice and there was this gentleman named John who greeted us the moment we walked into the door. He asked how we were and offered to take our tray. He called me ‘ma’am’ and my husband and brother-n-law ‘sir’. By the way, Chick Fil-A has the best waffles!
People in general just seem more easy going. No one is out to push each other’s buttons and no one attempts to emulate Jersey Shore or Honey Boo-Boo.
From what I see, people are just more normal in Georgia. I don’t know if it’s something in the water, if it’s superior education or upbringing, or if Georgia just doesn’t tolerate ghetto trash – but whatever the case is, my goal is to get the hell out of dodge as soon as possible.
Now, I know there are places like Amherst and South Hadley that are much closer to what I find in Georgia, but I still must say that I’ve never met people that are nicer, warmer, and as genuine as the people I met here this week.
Whether it was Celda at Marshalls in Austell who searched through two dozen boxes to make sure my mother’s shoes were perfect or Mercedes at the Coca-Cola Museum who gave us a great warm welcome to their theatrical show. Even Amber at Chick Fil-A came by several times to make sure our sodas were filled to the brim.
This is the society I want to live in. Where everyone says, “Hello, how are you today ma’am?” instead of grumbling “what’s up?” while puffing out their shoulders.
I just want to live in a nice society. Now, in the past I’ve mentioned such thoughts on social networking sites and some people and different times have responded assuming that I was singling out a certain race or creed despite me NEVER using race in any of my comments. I honestly thought that their assessment was racist though I had no inclination to start a back-and-forth so I just put it plainly that there are just as much white people who are ghetto trash than any other race. This has nothing to do with race. It has to do with being dignified in public. It has to do with holding oneself in such a regard that the person is seemingly polite and approachable. It has to do with people having enough respect for those around them not to swear aloud.
I have no problem with vulgar language. Hell, I have no problem with pornography. I’m anti-censorship. It’s all about the place it is said and in the manner it is spoken. It is not proper to swear in a public place where others are forced to hear and see how people are acting, we need to have more self-respect and more respect for those around us.
In the end, this has been yet another amazing week in Georgia. If I could just get the gumption to move away from my wonderful family back home and start anew, I would be ecstatic. Or maybe, people from Massachusetts who act like fools will read this and realize how others view them but are generally too disgusted to say it to their face. Maybe, they’ll realize that they don’t come across as a “tough guy” but instead as Cartman from South Park once said to equally obnoxious bikers, “Nobody is intimidated, actually. Everybody realizes that people who are so needy for attention, that need to dress and be as loud as possible, are you guys and 16 year old girls.”
I wish there was a way to bottle the goodness in Georgia and spread that to MA. Maybe, if there was a law where if you had your radio blasting so loud that other cars can hear you, you get a $1000 fine that if it remains unpaid you go to jail for a few weeks. Maybe, if there was a law which outlawed abusive language in public. So, if a cashier or hostess is being verbally assaulted or other patrons are being forced to hear abusive language, the individual can be charged with public indecency. If we started significantly fining people, maybe we could force those who are out of control to act like members of society. It’s sad that we’d have to do it, but at this point, I would try anything.
