Grosse Pointe, Saginaw, and anywhere else you could think of

I grew up in Grosse Pointe Park, Michigan. And I've always been rather closed-mouthed about that fact because it seemed like whenever I had to tell someone where I was from, they'd make assumptions about me: that I was wealthy (and ungrateful), that I didn't appreciate art, that I was conservative, etc.

I enrolled at SVSU after graduating from high school in 2007. And at 18, I figured that because Saginaw didn't have the same reputation that Grosse Pointe did, it'd be easier to live here.

What I've realized though, is that people will think what they want to think; every place has a reputation. I've heard generalizations about people who live in Saginaw Township (as opposed to the city): that they're wealthy (and ungrateful), that they don't appreciate art, that they're conservative, etc.

Sound familiar?

And yeah, quite a few people in Grosse Pointe fit that description, as do quite a few people in Saginaw Township. But so do people in a zillion other places, including those you might not expect. And the opposite is true as well. I'm living proof of that.

Obviously, this is easier to say than it is to live by. I make judgments of my own; I'm human. But it's worth pointing out.