In the comment box write a response (300+ words) to the following question:
In what way is "your" Gloucester different from other people's?
To answer this question you might think about your own life and experiences in Gloucester. What people and events have influenced your view of the place. You might think about the places in Gloucester that are "yours". You might think about family history in this city -- or elsewhere -- that affects your view of Gloucester. You might think about the ways in which you feel you belong and, perhaps, the ways in which you feel alienated. Do you want to stay? Do you want to leave? Do you want to leave and come back? Certainly think about what you think is the dominant view about what Gloucester "really is" and whether you also have that view or not. Those are just some of the ways you might begin answering the question.
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19 comments:
“My” Gloucester may certainly be different from anyone else’s Gloucester. I’ve lived here all my life and plan to stay here after college. Yes, I would like to visit other places and even if I don’t live here forever, Gloucester will always be my home. I’ve had so many experiences in Gloucester, whether it involves friends or just my own experiences. I have made wonderful friends here and have lost friends here. Although people may say, “there’s nothing to do in this town”, it’s still an awesome place to live. Other people, who don’t live here however, may not think that same thing. There has been media in Gloucester for a long time involving ‘the pregnancy pact’ which gives off a bad vibe. Especially because of the movie that was made referring to it. People that have made not-so-good decisions has also affected on how people view Gloucester and the people that live there but every place has there ups and downs. So yes, there is some bad things that have happened here that may or may not be true but Gloucester has a lot of positive things towards it too. Tourists are everywhere in the summer, not just for the beach but downtown is more popular for tourists than it is for locals. Fiesta is a huge celebration in Gloucester, and if I do go somewhere other than here, I would always come back just for that. I’ve had family here and ancestors. They had lived here so Gloucester is my family. I’m not embarrassed to say that I live and am from Gloucester at all. If I hear the word fishing I automatically think of Gloucester. Fishing is a huge part of Gloucester and what it is all about. You can’t find seafood anywhere else that is as good as it is here. Gloucester is my life, my home, and my family. I want to explore the world and go other places but I will always come back here and plan to come back.
I was born in Gloucester and have lived here up until now. I hate Gloucester. To me Gloucester is a prison. There is no way out unless you do something amazing and everyone knows who you are. Gloucester sticks its tentacles in you and never lets you go. Then with all the construction we cannot even have one nice place in this town. In ways I am both connected and alienated from Gloucester. I am connected through the business my family owns which allows for my father to know many people and in turn allows me to know a lot of people. I am alienated because I do not share many of the small town beliefs. I want to get out while many here wish to stay. I do not adhere to a religion which causes me to be an outsider in many instances. The downtown of Gloucester is cruddy and has become nothing, but a tourist trap and a restaurant district. Gloucester is such a small island that tries to diminish all of your contact with the outside world. It sucks you in and tries to make you conform to a small town lifestyle. I will never do that I will leave and never come back. I will take one look and turn my back to begin a new life journey once I am out of Gloucester. I want so much more than this small town has to offer. Different writers and artists depict Gloucester as more than it is. When writers talk of Gloucester in their books they create an image of a quaint little fishing town where nothing could go wrong. They make Gloucester out to be this beautiful place where everything is kept in order and neat. Artists when they paint make the water crystal clear and an unrealistic shade of blue and paint boats in top condition. That image is not true, in most places the water is green and in some places even a muddy brown and the boats are falling apart. These differing depictions are significant because they are lies shown to the outside world in an attempt to make Gloucester this magnificent place so that people will visit. The depictions worked because Gloucester is purely a tourist trap. Gloucester is a sleepy town until the summer when it explodes with tourists. Everyone in Gloucester seems to think that its this beautiful place and a wonderful place to live in. I do not so I will never truly fit in in Gloucester, which is why I plan to leave.
I probably have a different view of the city of Gloucester then most of my peers who I am in association with. After living in Gloucester for nearly five years now I have come to see that it is a place of tradition and close families. Many people who have dwelt here for many generations are either related or know each other in some way or another. Before I lived in Gloucester I merely thought about is as a place that was a major fishing industry and that it was a city close to where my grandparents lived, as they live in Hamilton. Gloucester never meant anything important to me until I moved here. Now that I live here I have become close to the town, and have come to learn that it is filled with history. It is also a place where many artists, authors, and poets have either lived or stayed for a period of time. The Gloucester that I know has its own culture essentially, and the people in it make it distinct. I will definitely stay in Gloucester as long as I have family here, but once I go to live on my own I will probably live somewhere else. I have nothing against Gloucester, but it is a place to me that is so tightly connected by the locals that live here that it would be a hard place to remain for a long duration of my life. Because I moved here from another town and have not grown up in the town, I feel as though Gloucester does not hold as many opportunities for me in the future of my life. To me Gloucester is a very interesting and close town that has been interesting and exciting to live in thus far.
Gilbert Brown
Even though I was not born in Gloucester i am proud to call Gloucester my home town. Ever since I moved here when I was six years old I’ve been in love with this little town by the sea. Growing up I was involved in multiple sports and the most excitement I received, was watching the Gloucester High School sports teams in action. I knew that Gloucester was a town of tradition and of hard working individuals. So ever since I saw those maroon and white jerseys I knew that I wanted to be a part of that brother hood. I don’t have a lot of immediate family in Gloucester so I’ve had to try and make my name in this town. Through my journey in sports I’ve made all of my close friends that I have today and I firmly believe that they will remain my comrades for a long time. Even though sports have kept me in the community’s eye there have been some times when I have been alienated from the rich culture of the community. To help and intertwine myself in the community I joined a seine boat crew that rows annually at the St. Peters fiesta every June and this makes me feel more connected to the community and all the fishermen who have lost there lives at sea. Gloucester is America’s oldest sea port and attracts tourists from all around the world; it is also rich in state championship sport teams and the home to one of the countries oldest settlements. But no matter what positives this beautiful town holds the negatives will always seem to shine through. Like the recent horror of the teen pregnancy pact. I think because of that Gloucester is looked upon as a dirty and sex crazy city that is ungoverned and unruly. But that isn’t the case because Gloucester is filled with wonder and plenty of positive attributes. Even though Gloucester so interesting I want to venture out into the world and explore all the possibilities that life has to offer. But I don’t think I could ever ignore Gloucester’s radiant lure and aura.
A home is a place where one can go to feel safe or at ease. To many a home doesn’t just consist of the house, but of the family, friends, and happiness it can bring. To me, Gloucester is a place I can definitely call home. For the past 17 years I have been living in Gloucester and throughout them I have realized how much I truly do love living here. Though I live in whats considered “the Boonies” of Gloucester, aka Lanesville, I must say that I have felt privileged to grow up here. My mom grew up in Gloucester as well and her heritage is greatly expressed in the area we’re currently living in. Especially in Lanesville, our Finnish heritage is portrayed in numerous ways. This is something that is very important to me and from living in Gloucester I’ve been able to learn more about it. However like all cities Gloucester definitely has its pros and cons. This town is widely known for its beautiful beaches, seaports, and many other tourist attractions. Gloucester has spectacular scenery and qualities that I have come to know and love. There are also many delicious restaurants and countless shops that have also brought me to deepen my attachment to this town. Yet, Gloucester does have its faults. Some parts of the town are dirty in which I consider stay-away-zones. Not everyone is friendly either, but the majority of the population is. Gloucester also recently had an unfortunate event concerning teen pregnancy. With the media getting involved and then resulting in a life time movie, Gloucester has had to face the criticism and embarrassment from the rest of the world. Though Gloucester does have its flaws I still can say that it has become my home. Looking into the future, I’m still not quite sure if I would want to stay here or venture out into the world. Of course when I go off to college I won’t be in Gloucester but after that I honestly wouldn’t mind continuing to live here. It is a beautiful place and when I hear words like beaches, fishing, seaports, or family I routinely think about Gloucester. This being said I am not ashamed to live here at all; I am very grateful and blessed for it. Growing up in such a town has been a privilege and I absolutely have come to call Gloucester my home.
Having lived in Gloucester all of my life, I have many different opinions about it. I think that physically, Gloucester is a beautiful city. I love the ocean and the beaches. I love Magnolia in the springtime, when everything is blooming. I love the boulevard on beautiful days. Gloucester is beautiful in the spring, summer and fall. Once winter rolls around, Gloucester is torture. We are left with nothing really to do because everything good about Gloucester can only be enjoyed on nice days, such as the beach and nature walks. Good Harbor Beach is my favorite beach in the entire world. A down point of Gloucester is some of the people. Having worked at Destino’s for 6 months, I encountered many of the crazy people of Gloucester. Another good point, arguably the best one, is Fiesta in the summer. There are so many things to do during the Fiesta, like the Greasy Pole and the Crew Boat Races. Everyone has a good time during Fiesta. A big part of my life is Camp Spindrift. I grew up going there every summer for the whole summer. If I end up living away from Gloucester later in life, I know Camp Spindrift will be one of the first things that I think about.
When an outsider thinks of Gloucester nowadays, they think mainly about the pregnancy pact scandal. When I think of Gloucester, the pregnancy scandal is the farthest thing from my mind. I think that everyone will agree that they barely saw any pregnant girls at school. Most Gloucester citizens think that it was blown way out of proportion. I also do not have a very close connection to the fishing industry, so that’s not what I think about when I think about Gloucester. People that have never been to Gloucester and have only heard it on the news don’t have the same love for the beauty of the city as I do. To really understand something, you have to get up close and personal.
I feel Gloucester has affected me in a very unique way, as I am sure it has for most of its citizens. I love Gloucester. I feel that I have a very unique outlook on it, and in many ways I am lucky to do so. For the first three years of my life, I lived in Newton. Newton is a very economically privileged city. I even lived on the more economically gifted side of Newton. To put things in perspective, we sold our house to the manager of Aerosmith. Yes, the world famous rock band. Well one may say that this had little or no effect on me, seeing as it was only until I was 3. Well they would be wrong, because one thing about that town always stuck with us, and that was the Brae Burn Country Club. I spent all my summers up in Brae Burn. There I made friends with a gang of some of the most economically privileged kids in the state. This really gave me a great outlook on life. It also let me not take for granted how great Gloucester really is. The greed and jealousy and distrust that exist in this kind of environment are just obscene. The amount of problems that arise from that kind of setting is not even comparable to how socially boring it is. I feel the economic and cultural diversity of Gloucester has really made it possible for me to mingle with all walks of life. With Gloucester comes every size shape and color person with all the traditions, cultures and religions in the book.
Also, the setting of Gloucester has truly affected my personal outlook. It is both humbling and inspiring at the same time. I can imagine putting a message in a bottle that could potentially reach Portugal or Brazil or, hypothetically, any coastal nation of the world. It also makes you truly realize how very small we are. We live in the shadow of a sleeping giant, which can at any time swallow us whole. This year, my friend and fellow soccer player lost his life to the sea. My kindergarten teacher lost he brother in the perfect storm. Though these losses are great, it gives one, I feel, a very realistic view on the fragility and value of life.
I have an incredibly unique outlook on Gloucester. I really did not grow up in Gloucester, as a child both of my parents were constantly at work and I was being whisked away by some family member. Often times that family member was not from around here. As a child I spent my summers in Florida, I would go to school here then leave right after school ended and come back right before it started back up. Growing up mostly in Florida I grew to miss summer around here. I missed fiesta, celebrating the 3rd of July with a real parade and real fireworks, so Gloucester definitely has its charm. The summers that I did not spend in Florida I spent in Rockport. My family owns a house on long beach, one of the only year round houses and I spent a lot of time there. Believe it or not I hadn't even actually gone to a Gloucester beach until 2 summers ago with the exception of going to wingersheek by boat. Despite almost never going to a Gloucester beach I still think Gloucester is physically beautiful, there is no doubt about it. Basically everywhere you turn there is some form of water, whether it be the harbor, a river, a stream or 5 million other types. I absolutely love that about Gloucester. But at the same time, it has its downfalls. Ever since the so called pregnancy pact I feel Gloucester has been looked at poorly. Outsiders think that every girl in Gloucester wants a child or wants to be pregnant or whatever they think. The so called pact was blown way out of proportion and I do not think Gloucester should be known as a 'slutty' city. We should be known for our fishing industry, or fiesta, or the water not for a few girls that got pregnant. As for living here, I do not plan on staying here. I plan on going to college in Florida and moving down there for good. Though Gloucester has its charm and wonderful events like fiesta I just don't feel that its for me. Although if I do really move away I'm sure I will end up back whether it be to visit the city or family, I'm sure I will miss it.
I was raised in Gloucester and have seen most of what Gloucester could possible bring to me. I hear people talking; ”oh I cant wait to moving out of this city”. All though I don’t plan to live in Gloucester all my life I still have a very much so positive look in a place what I call home. Gloucester’s art program called “art space” was a huge helper in helping me figure out all about Gloucester and really learning about its true beauty. Traveling through dog town and learning about the history of what it used to be, and going to several museums and learning about the unique arts that were to be so special for everybody n the past. No one else besides the people will be able to experience the true Gloucester, the fiesta Good Harbor, and another place that makes Gloucester special. However, I do feel that Gloucester has faded from what it once use to be to me. It maybe because I have grown into a new perspective but I have noticed a huge difference in what Gloucester use to be known for; art and its fishing industry. Now it’s, “hey have you heard about Gloucester?”
“is that the place with the pregnant girls?”. Even though other people may think of this little island as the “pregnant place” it will always be home to me. A place where I am still finding knew discoveries to this day and the town that is still shaping me to what I am now and will be in the future. I feel special still to this day to say that I am part of the Gloucester community, part of Gloucester high school, and any other program that I am or will be a part of. People should think twice before the criticize Gloucester and maybe open there eyes to what is really there, a beautiful city with great people and places.
To me, Gloucester is just a place to live. Since I can remember, I have moved around. Most of what I remember was spent in Essex. Most of my friends live in Essex and I still have strong connections there. Gloucester came into the picture around 6th grade. Even then, it was just a way of life, a place of education. I am not a Gloucester person, nor will I ever be. Continuously people refer to places which can hardly be imagined in my mind based on their names. Gloucester is a history book to me. I briefly studied its history in the past and did much research on certain parts of it. Whenever I think of Gloucester, I think of the drawbridge which always fascinated me when I was younger, and the man at the wheel statue. It always seemed like such a far off place when I was younger. It sounded like my father was traveling to a different country when he said “I went to Gloucester today”. Later, I realized how truly close to the truth I was in assuming this. I live off the island and whenever I enter it, it feels like I have entered a different world. There is a pride among the islanders not common to any other people. It is as if everyone is related even if they are not. All the jokes about inbreeds and Italians are funny at their time are hilarious, but in many ways they indicate something familial between every person in Gloucester. They show how being a Gloucertrian is being part of a family. I am not an islander. I am a foreigner in this complex society that is Gloucester. I love it here, but I am not one of them. They have welcomed me as such, however, knowing this full well.
I have lived in Gloucester my whole life, and feel very fond of this town that has been my home. There’s just something about Gloucester that sets it apart from other towns in my mind. This feeling probably comes from me living here, because I have been surrounded by the environment of Gloucester as long as I lived. I love both the geography of the town, being near the ocean with lots of beautiful water front and beaches. And the energy of the people that make up the town. Gloucester is the perfect size where you can know a lot of people, but still not know everybody you see when you walk around downtown. I like living in Gloucester because the people have pride in their heritage, and their local sports. Although Fiesta is no longer a completely religious celebration, there is still a religious portion of it, and many people still support that part. The rest of what Fiesta is today is not religious or cultural, (rides and games) but also is a time for kids that do not see each other very much other than school to catch up, and unite a lot more kids as friends.
Although I would like to travel somewhat far for college it is not that I am trying to escape from Gloucester. I would just like to see and get a feel from a different area and see how it is to live somewhere else. Also I’m not sure on my plans after college may end up wanting to return to Gloucester to live, I have family and friends here and would feel comfortable establishing a family here. For the most part I feel like I fit in here, at least with the other active young adults of the community and the hard working adults. I have always felt like I do belong here, I have good friends and I like the spirit of the town. One way I have felt a tiny bit alienated at times is that I’m not Italian, and my family was never really hardcore fishermen.
I think the dominant view of Gloucester is that we are just an old fishing town that doesn’t really change with outside culture. Almost as if people think we are still really old fashioned, and in some ways we are.
Grant Weaver
4/15/10
E Block
My Gloucester. Hmm what an interesting thought. I never have really thought of Gloucester as my own before. It’s hard to imagine a Gloucester that's mine, I mean in comparison to, well everyone around me I spend so little time in the city. I put in my solid six hours and leave. With driving you can call it an even seven (school traffic...ugh). Some days that is my only encounter with Gloucester, but many of the time I use it only for it roads, leading me from home to my destination. Some days I might go to the store or stop to get gas, but that's about it: a third of the day maybe. This forces me to have a condensed relationship with this city upon the sea. Luckily the high school is where I experience most of Gloucester. I say luckily because the high school shows such a wide variety of the city. I see the best and the worst, the kids who smoke and talk about how cool it is to do drugs. Then there are the kids who study hard and have extra curricula’s. I guess my relationship with Gloucester is one of an observer, an outsider. This fact does not ways please me though, I do at times wish I got all of the jokes, new all the people and the places, and had a relationship with fiesta that was more than fried foods and cheesy carnival rides. I wish I was one of the kids who platy volleyball at the Stage Fort Park as the sun sets on a warm summer day, but yet I am not. So I guess my view of Gloucester is unique because so few are students in Gloucester and yet true strangers to the place that they have to drive to get anywhere.
To me Gloucester is home. I moved away from Gloucester and lived in Florida for a year and I never realized how much I would miss Gloucester until then. No matter what people say there really is no other place like Gloucester. Where else can you get a St. Peter’s Fiesta, a bunch of different beaches to choose from and community events happening constantly. Everyone knows about things that have happened within a short period after. People are close here whether or not you want to be. Gloucester is a place of comfort and safety. As soon as you come off the highway and enter onto the rotary you know you are home and safe. I know everything here and all of the places you would not know of if you were just passing through. Knowing where everything is gives comfort. It can make things boring sometimes, but you know you are safe. It is a place where my friends and family are and to me that is where I belong.
Gloucester
Hannah Cain
To me Gloucester means home. It means safety and family. Gloucester is my security blanket. It’s a familiar place, a hard place, and a pretty place. To me Gloucester is like a grandparent; full of character and experience. Gloucester is very special to me because my family has been here for four generations. This is where I have been born and raised. I’ve encountered obstacles here, and I’ve over come them. I’ve shed blood, I’ve shed sweat, and I’ve shed tears here. I’ve experienced sorrow and happiness here. I’ve made friends and I’ve lost friends here. To me Gloucester is a small place in the world but I huge place in my heart. Mainly, Gloucester can be separated from any other city because it’s a place full of tradition and deep roots. Gloucester is well known for its citizens’ rough edged personalities and hard working attitudes. Gloucester has shaped me and characterized me…I am Gloucesta.
Gloucester
Summer
During the summer Gloucester is great. The resteraunts are packed with generous tourists giving out generous tips while Gloucester locals are working hard to provide for the visitors looking forward to the frequent days off. Skies are sunny during the day and starry during the night. The beaches are packed with locals and tourists alike. The trees are green the air is filled with the smell of the sea. The thought of school is just simply a distant memory for teenagers as they get the most out of their summers, forgetting to do the summer reading along the way. The streets are cleared of young children who have been shipped off en masse to camps all over. Life has never looked better in any part of the world.
Winter
Summer has left as quickly as it came and the lovely port city has turned into a low income town that has been abandoned by the tourists and wealthy summer residents that travel to their winter nesting grounds. School is now back in session. All the failures in school related areas {and possibly in their lives as well} are congregated on smokers hill trying to scrunge up some pride by smoking their ciggaretes in defiance of school regulations. Other people are enjoying the height of their lives in high school while others are simply trying to get by without getting too scarred by the surroundings. The beautiful views seem to melt away replaced with dead trees and yellow snow. The freezing ocean waters don't seem to help with the dropping temperatures and people crowd into homes that are meant to be only summer time homes.
Hey Mr. Cook just got back from Germany and my view on everything especially Gloucester has changed dramatically:
Gloucester to me now is a place of recognition. I feel that when I think about an ordinary day or an ordinary life style, what forms in my mind is Gloucester. When i’m in Gloucester I miss the outside world, the excitement, the unseen, the adventure, the unordinary, and the change all around me. The greatest misunderstanding I think people have about Gloucester is that we ourselves are Gloucester. Imagine being in a foreign place and not being able to feel the excitement and difference that you should be experiencing from things surrounding you. If I didn’t live in Gloucester I would have no place in the world where I could compare the differences if I had nothing to compare it too. Gloucester is a place that I can recognize and a place that has made me into what I am today. The perspective also works in the opposite direction, since now that I have seen other places I can now look at Gloucester in another view. I look at Gloucester now as my home and a place that I can always come back to and feel welcomed. I also look at Gloucester as where I am from and maybe not some place where I want to be in the future. It is the beginning for me and I feel that I must go beyond the starting line. I will always have Gloucester in my mind, my heart, and in my blood, but it does not always have to be my home. In reality right now my mind confuses itself over the conflicting emotions it feels about Gloucester. I have such pride and love in my home town. Yet I also have the annoyance and hate of the same town everyday, the same people, the same food, the same smell, the same school, and the same day. I want change but I can’t imagine not having Gloucester or Gloucester changing. The people here don’t want change they love this city and they have glosta pride! When people say “Gloucester is the best!” they might not be right but they sure are not lying. Because to them Gloucester is all they know, it is who they are, it is their response to a person who hasn’t lived in Gloucester their whole life. I have come to understand that Gloucester is where I am, it is who I am, and it is what I will use to venture into the unknown world.
Molly Blewett
How I see Gloucester is definitely from a different prospective than that of my fellow classmates. Gloucester, for most of my life was the home away from home that I came to every month since I was born, whether it was for a few days or several weeks, I could always look forward to seeing it. Gloucester was an 8 hour car ride or occasionally an 80 minute flight. It was Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Fiesta, Fourth of July, New Years, and every chance we had to visit. It’s where so many of members of my family were born and so many of them died. It’s where I saw Matt for the last time, where I saw Joe for the first time. It was my vacation place, where no one but my family knew me, and I could spend days with them. Gloucester was the beach from 9 in the morning until 5 at night, playing water football, building sand boats, giant crabs, and living rooms. Some of the best scars I have are from hikes and bike jumps I did here. It used to be watching the fireworks with my family, watching my younger cousins during fiesta, the bonfire, and when my aunts wanted to go out. Now Gloucester has changed for me, this year I’ve experienced more than just my family. I know the people that I’ve watched my whole life, they have names and lives. I’m living a lifestyle that I’ve always seen but never really knew. I’m learning my way around sections of the city, people’s houses and places to hang out, Gloucester is no longer main streets and a pretty picture. It has depth to it, it has problems and solutions, and it has life that seasonal goers don’t see. I’m not ignorant to the city any more, I’m learning to get used to the fact that Gloucester isn’t at all like Darnestown, people here don’t portray perfection, and money isn’t the definition of a person here. Gloucester to me is a reality check, a “wicked” good experience that I took far too long to experience. It’s now friends, family, school, work, clubs, sports, and everything that it wasn’t. It’s still a pretty picture, but now there’s a story behind the canons at Stage Fort, the pier in Magnolia, and the beaches on eastern point.
Gloucester to me is the only place I have ever known as a home; recently I have realized how lucky I am to live in a place such as this. It displays character and charm through the culture and the people. Growing up I always knew lots of tourists came to Gloucester, but I always wondered why, why they would ever want to vacation here. However last summer I spent the majority of my time working for a bed and breakfast in Rockport. I served food and cleaned rooms, throughout my summer work I met many interesting people traveling from many different places, as I got to talking to them they shared with me their reasons for visiting Gloucester and how interesting they found the culture of it all. By talking to them I realized Gloucester was not like ever other place, and I came to the realization that Gloucester has shaped me and made me the person I am today. Gloucester as a whole reflects on each and everyone of its people, including me, shaping them in one way or another. I am not sure if everyone else on the island feels this way, but it’s a sense of pride, I feel as though since we are from Gloucester we are somehow better than other towns, such as when I am playing on a sports team or watching the football team etc. I am proud of Gloucester and have learned to embrace how lucky I am to have grown up here.
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