Surviving life in Macomb easier than it seems
Feana Kotter
Issue date: 10/11/06 Section: Opinion
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As a Macombie Homie, I get asked on a weekly basis what it was like growing up here. After the look of sheer disbelief fades from the inquiring person's face, I explain the pros and cons of growing up in good old Macomb.
The most attractive aspect of this place growing up was the proximity. The Square was only a bike ride away, and countless hours were spent casually walking around window shopping and talking about the shoes in the Maurices window displays. The Square was a buzzing center of activity with the Illinois Theater (long before the Forum) and the various other restaurants, most of which are still here.
Life was great when we were young here. As long as mom and dad knew where you were and whom you were with, you could go as far as your legs could pedal. We probably spent thousands of dollars of our parents' money on Cherry Cokes and nachos at Ford Hopkins, renting PG-13 movies at Family Video and buying No Doubt CDs at Disc and Dat, which used to be on the east side of the Square.
Of course, the same routine did get old, especially during the long, hot summers. I can't quite remember what we did to spice things up, but I don't remember being particularly bothered by doing the same thing every day. That's just life in Macomb, a comfortable routine that builds itself around you without asking. Sometimes it's great, other times it drives you nuts.
We did the same things in high school most of you probably did. Stayed out past curfew, stole street signs and occasionally had a party where someone always got too carried away. We spent nights laying on driveways with our friends talking about the future and where we thought we'd be by this point in our lives. We were almost kicked out of Wal-Mart numerous times for a varying range of offenses. Apparently no one appreciates the lost art of playing chicken in shopping carts.
The major buzzkill about doing anything juvenile, though, was the inevitable fact that your parents would find out. Outside the campus community, Macomb is a very tight-knit town. If you ever flashed a cop while hanging out a car window, your parents would know about it by the time you got home, because it was almost certain one of their friends or co-workers saw you do it.
The most attractive aspect of this place growing up was the proximity. The Square was only a bike ride away, and countless hours were spent casually walking around window shopping and talking about the shoes in the Maurices window displays. The Square was a buzzing center of activity with the Illinois Theater (long before the Forum) and the various other restaurants, most of which are still here.
Life was great when we were young here. As long as mom and dad knew where you were and whom you were with, you could go as far as your legs could pedal. We probably spent thousands of dollars of our parents' money on Cherry Cokes and nachos at Ford Hopkins, renting PG-13 movies at Family Video and buying No Doubt CDs at Disc and Dat, which used to be on the east side of the Square.
Of course, the same routine did get old, especially during the long, hot summers. I can't quite remember what we did to spice things up, but I don't remember being particularly bothered by doing the same thing every day. That's just life in Macomb, a comfortable routine that builds itself around you without asking. Sometimes it's great, other times it drives you nuts.
We did the same things in high school most of you probably did. Stayed out past curfew, stole street signs and occasionally had a party where someone always got too carried away. We spent nights laying on driveways with our friends talking about the future and where we thought we'd be by this point in our lives. We were almost kicked out of Wal-Mart numerous times for a varying range of offenses. Apparently no one appreciates the lost art of playing chicken in shopping carts.
The major buzzkill about doing anything juvenile, though, was the inevitable fact that your parents would find out. Outside the campus community, Macomb is a very tight-knit town. If you ever flashed a cop while hanging out a car window, your parents would know about it by the time you got home, because it was almost certain one of their friends or co-workers saw you do it.
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