not so eggciting

I went to downtown Albany for lunch with a good friend from high school. We went to Bombers Burrito Bar, which is basically the only place I ever eat downtown. It’s sad that Lark Street is the only thing keeping the culture of downtown alive.

I love Albany and I love having grown up here. I have so much “hometown pride”. I was born and raised in the city and I went through the inner city’s public schools. My graduating class was around 550, having started with a freshman class of over 1000. Albany High was featured often on the evening news and eyebrows were raised when professionals and other people outside the community realized where I went to school. Words like “dangerous” and “scary” were implied and questions about shootings, knife-fights and gang violence quickly followed. I used to say over and over that I loved Albany High and the educational and social experience it had to offer was unlike any other suburban or private counterpart.

I hope my persistence and unfailing defense of Albany and the city schools wasn’t from disillusionment. I see so much potential in what Albany could offer to a city of young and hopeful people but it is falling short. I see Albany falling apart and it scares me. I wouldn’t know where to start in revitalizing a city ravaged by a post-industrial economy and a severely growing case of white-flight.

I want my pride to be based in more than nostalgia.