My community

Personally, I feel as if I am stitched into the community of where I live. For the reason that I was born and raised here, and in that time I was exposed to all sorts of memorable experiences, positive and negative in which have all contributed to molding my mind-set a certain way.

Despite the ever so screaming car alarm, the distant repetitive popping of a gun, and the occasional filth covered corner, which is home to the homeless, all experiences have taught me that everyone in my community is identical in some sort of special relation; mostly all sharing the same religion and cultural practices.

My neighborhood is very tight-knit, so it’s bound for all my neighbors to have something in common or have experienced something similar to one another, creating a bond. This bond is simply through enjoying the same food, attending the same church together, or being culturally connected. Some are even identical through a more complex relation, such as, mourning the death of a loved one, losing a relative or friend to a gang, the common fear of gang activity; these factors create relationships and form bonds between people whom share similar situations. This is what makes me feel attached to my neighborhood.

Knowing through the variety of different people, and the multitude of situations and experiences, I could return to my community and talk to someone of the same background as me, someone who is able to relate themselves to my own experiences and situations. This provides a sense of relief, knowing that someone similar to you has experienced situations identical to yours and is having to cope with similar outcomes as you are. The thought that someone else is able to relate themselves to your experiences and situations not only provides relief, but it also provides support and comfort.

Through all my experiences, my community has shaped me to always be skeptical, and to always think and consider some ones background because you never know how similar someone is to you.