Weird Winfield
-
1/10/2017
When I first moved here, I thought what a nice, peaceful, safe Mayberry type of town. A few years into this place and my attitude has changed. A great deal.
If you're not from here, you will never get inside the "club". There are two groups of people here, those in the club and those who are not. They'll take your money here, but you'll never get a seat at the table. Doesn't matter what color you are or your economic status, if you're not "from" here, you're an outsider.
The first thing you're asked is where are you from? And why did you want to move here? When I first heard that, I thought if this place is so terrible, why are you here? I couldn't figure out why they kept saying that. And then it hit me, they don't want you here.
A young woman we met briefly before she left, had a painful story. She moved here with her husband. She was never able to make friends here. I couldn't figure out why. She was charming and nice. She was an outsider. After her husband died, she took the life insurance money and left.
I've lived all over the country in large cities. I never had that feeling of being excluded or was considered an outsider. I had no trouble making friends. I just wanted a smaller town to live in.
I've lived here several years. Even if you lived here briefly as a kid and came back, you're still an outsider.
And there is a lot of talk about the Winfield schools being so great. It's great if you're in the clique. If you're not in the clique, you have a tough road. I've spoken with many a young person who expressed how bad the cliquishness and the division was for them.
I can't see how the schools are that great. Many of the younger kids I talk to are functionally illiterate. Sports is king. It trumps everything. IMO sports is more important than math, science or technology. Just go to college, get a good government job, go to church on Sunday and do what you're told. No emphasis on entrepreneurship.
I tried Winfield, I really tried. You have a nice town, it just doesn't have any room for people like me.
Debbie | Guin, AL