No place for illiterate trash
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5/6/2013
I know this may come as absolutely SHOCKING news, but Madison is not for everybody.
For as long as I can remember, I've worked like crazy to master skills, make good grades, and be the most I could be. I've saved and invested since before I was old enough to drive. And I worked hard, exercising and dieting, to look good enough to marry someone worth having. It worked, and I caught a big, gorgeous guy from a good family, whose goals and accomplishments mirrored mine.
What I wrote about myself could describe my parents, my grandparents, and most people we know in Madison. It took generations of application, thrift, and prudence, to get me to where I am today. That could be said of most people in Madison. It is a town of and FOR high-achievers. Most of us work three thousand hour years, and worked very hard to attain advanced degrees and coveted certifications. It is a city of busy people who work long hours, then work hard at rearing our children, decorating our homes, and maintaining the grounds around our homes. There is very little time for anything else.
Ours is a work culture. We like to be busy. We derive our self-worth from our accomplishments. There are plenty of communities nearby, for those who just like to kick back with 'a cold one' and watch cable TV.
We moved to Madison because of the current Mayor (I pray that tomorrow, following the Primary, she will STILL be Mayor...). She has created a town where people like us can feel that we are not missing out on life by staying in Mississippi. She created an alternative to moving out of Mississippi. With our professional standing and net worth, we could now move anywhere in America. But because of Mary's Miracle, we have been able to remain in our home state. Because of the quality community that is Madison, we have passed on opportunities which offered to take us to more affluent states and regions. However, I truly can say that our lifestyle is as good in Madison as it would be in any of the other "Best Places" in America. Once you factor in convenience and Cost of Living, Madison ranks among the Best of the Best.
Criticisms of the town are generally by those who would be more comfortable in a nearby community. If you can't drive with a reasonable level of competence, or if your car makes a lot of noise, then you will probably be pulled over. If drug fumes are coming from your car, then the predictable will happen. And if your taste in exterior decor is uncouth, then measures will be applied to bring it into compliance with accepted norms.
If you live in an illegal flophouse full of criminals, and stick tacky blinking lights on top of that house, then something will probably be done about you and your house. If your Pitt Bull attacks a policeman, then you can expect to have the thing shot dead. All of this sounds pretty GOOD to me.
If you want to put in a business (or build a building) which lowers the prestige of the town, and which lowers property values within the town (thereby devaluing the portion of my life and net worth which I have invested in Madison...basically, STEALING from me), then our excellent City Government will stop you. I like investments which grow in value. Madison grows in value, because its 'branding' is carefully managed by our elected officials and their 'assigns'.
But if what I've described sounds oppressive, and/or if you think 'Clique' is pronounced "Click" (hint: it rhymes with 'Clinique'), then maybe you need to discover your Inner Flowood. Jackson and Ridgeland are only minutes away, and Rankin County is only a short hop distant, across the sparkling waters of 'The Reservoir'. Please! If Madison is too snooty for you, then don't move here! And if you're unhappy here, then please remove yourself to a more appropriate place!
TTFN!
Oh, and I've spotted plenty of new buildings in town which are NOT made of brick. Was at Corner Bakery for lunch, in fact. It's an Apricot-colored stucco. But again: if brick offends thee, then there are nearby communities which seem to feature a lovely array of aluminum siding, vinyl siding, and concrete block. I'm sure you'd be welcome.
BitsiBeck | Madison, MS