Area or community?

     A friend of my brother's was at our house recently along with said friend's soon-to-be-wife (is it fiance or fiancee? I can never tell, damn French) and as they are getting married in the next few weeks the conversation eventually turned to where they would be living and what they would prefer. The girl, let's call her Jane, had lived her whole life in a quaint little village where her family was from and clearly had lots of fond memories growing up there, playing safely out on the street, everyone knew everyone and looked out for one another. A real sense of community. Lovely.
      However when it came to discussing our friend's, lets call him James, home it was rather more challenging. The place where he grew up one couldn't really describe it as a village or a town, it certainly isn't a city or even a suburb. It's neither a dwelling or a hamlet. The best way we found to describe it was, well, an area. Oh dear. An area makes it sound like somewhere where joy-riding takes place, drug deals go down and gang fights tend to occur on a regular basis. And worst of all, and this really is the worst, it makes it sound so bland and anonymous and lacking in character..."it's just an area"...you might often hear people say. Or in the papers' one might read 'an area just off...' where some dispicable crime has just taken place. And you would never say to someone yourself that you are from an area. I mean, no-one actually lives in an area. It's one of those places you only believe exists on a map but not in reality as such.
      And you never feel like visiting an 'area'. You don't wake up on a lovely sunny morning and say to the missus "hey honey, it's such a lovely day outside, why don't we pack a picnic and take the kids to such and such an area". No, you visit beaches, and castles, and farms, and villages. Although in this current economic climate perhaps an area doesn't sound like such a bad idea after all. At least it's free or cheaper than most.

Comments

kt6550

Commented Feb 27, 2009, 3:12:26 AM

Quite a lovely little tale! It is amazing the emotions we attach to words. Telling someone you are from LA is one thing. Telling them you are from Beverly Hills, which is part of LA, is another.
Perhaps the writer should elaborate on the word "region."B)

EJMorrow

Commented Mar 9, 2009, 8:50:51 PM

Well i suppose by the word "area" i mean it's somewhere quite bland and anonymous and not particularly interesting. Whereas "community" gives a sense of belonging to and a place where one could find oneself going for a visit rather than just driving through and missing it. I assume you meant to write area rather than region?!

Rob Kosy

Commented Aug 28, 2010, 11:33:31 AM

You certainly have a point, EJ.

I live in Area 51 & have been there since I crashed in the 50's.

No doubting what kind of area that is though.

A general fiction story by

EJMorrow

Area or community?

Comments

kt6550

EJMorrow

Rob Kosy

Random Quote

Online Users