You might be from Muskegon if…
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| "You can call me Pere Hackley..." |
- You always swing by the beach on the way to the grocery store.
- You say Pere Marquette like “Pier Marquette” and not “Pear Marquette.”
- You’ve ever watched the sun rise and set over large blue lakes in the same city on the same day.
- You drive 15 minutes to go to Starbucks – only to have three options at the same intersection.
- You don’t get the big deal about ocean beaches.
- You know what Pigeon Hill was.
- You know Wal-Mart is not original and that Meijer has no "s."
- Cheap bowling options have never been a problem.
- Karaoke is a way of life.
- You know Tracy Lorenz is a man and that’s not what’s funny about him.
- You can’t imagine not knowing who Charles Hackley was.
- You think Grand Rapids is cool, but it’s not part of the lakeshore.
- An intersection of First and Third streets makes perfect sense.
- You’ve gone to the Mexican or Chinese places when in the mood for steak.
- You worry that you won’t see your high school classmates now that Summer Celebration has ended.
- You think Grand Haven needs to get over itself.
- You’ve watched the Blue Angels from your backyard, a random parking lot, or the beach.
- Life is not complete without beer tents.
- You’ve ice skated to a beer tent.
- You’ve played volleyball in the snow.
- “Luge” is not just some fancy, French-sounding word.
- Three state parks in one county is not a lot.
- You’ve wondered where the “park” in Grand Haven State Park is.
- You know the difference between Captain Jack’s and Cadillac Jack’s.
- You enter another time zone when visiting the beach.
- Seaway is for cars.
- The drive-in is not a thing of the past.
- The snurfer is real and should be revered.
- You’ve seen the Pyramid and it’s made of glass.
- You’re happy not to have to explain the rotten-egg smell to out-of-towners anymore.
- Pinchtown is not something from a children’s book.
- The lagoon is gorgeous but you wouldn’t dare touch it.
- Roosevelt is the name of a park, which is really a city.
- You’ve had a debate over how to pronounce Ryke’s.
- You know that “Catch the Wave” was an appropriate tagline.
- You couldn’t wait to finally see the inside of the Century Club.
- ...
Looking forward to hearing what else you have to say, Muskegon :)
--Imaginer
That "Grand Haven is snotty" thing is a myth, it's a much MUCH friendlier town than Muskegon and I've lived in both. I did a column once where I interviewed people from Muskegon and asked them what they thought of Grand Haven; the flood gates opened and you could just feel the hatred and disgust. Then I asked Grand Haven people what they thought of Muskegon and no one said anything bad, not a peep. The most common answer was "I never really think about Muskegon, I don't know much about it." Muskegon is kind of like the unpopular girl who obsesses and complains about the head cheerleader who they don't even know. Meanwhile the cheerleader doesn't spend one second thinking about the unpopular girl. Muskegon has always had a self esteem problem and probably always will. Muskegon is like the fat girl who people say "You'd be so pretty if you just lost a little weight..." to which she replies "F* off, this is how I am and if you don't like it, tough." And then she wonders why she's sitting home on prom night.
ReplyDeleteLook up and down he Lakeshore, every single town is successful and growing, they're destination towns...except one. Someday they'll figure it out.
Thanks for your humorous thoughts. I personally don't have a problem with Grand Haven and go there regularly. There was one time where a friend told some Grand Havenites that she and I were from Muskegon, and they condescendingly said, "I'm sorry" - and then many of the Muskegon people we told about it exclaimed, "I hate that." That was my only experience with the snootiness, but I do know a lot of Muskegon people believe it's alive and real. And, to be fair, that's the only time anyone's ever been told I'm from Muskegon.
ReplyDeleteI'd take Muskegon to the prom. :)
ReplyDeletesigned,
A Different Anonymous (than the one above)
The Muskegon/Grand Haven dynamic has historic roots and quite complex, much like (and perhaps related to) some of our current social issues. There is no doubt that friction is produced by both sides, however I sense that schism fading. I like the competitive spirit, but we need to keep it above the belt because each community benefits from its proximity to the other.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, Grand Haven has done an excellent job utilizing thier waterfront and creating a sense of place downtown. However, (and this is not a dig on Grand Haven) I feel it doesn't have the capacity for much more improvement, and is close to its ceiling. This is not a bad thing...it just is what it is. On the other hand, the much larger City of Muskegon has squandered many opportunities and committed many abuses in its past. As a result, it has had a more challenged and embattled past. But the potential in Muskegon is hard to measure because the ceiling is so high. There are many signs of improvement, yet the community seems to constantly avoid building any palpable momentum.
I hope this blog can be a contributing factor for building pride, involvement, and positive momentum in Muskegon. Keep it up!
Thanks for the comments, Anonomi ;) And latest Anonymous, that's exactly what I hope. I want people to have another place where they can interact, voice their thoughts, and find out about local activities and events, both large and small. And I want Port City residents to realize how much there is to be proud of here. Thanks for the encouragement!
ReplyDeleteYou’re happy not to have to explain the rotten-egg smell to out-of-towners anymore.
ReplyDeleteIs it gone?????? I've been away too long!
Yes, it's gone! Sad that it means some people are out of a job, but hoping they will find new ones - and very happy to tell some friends to give Muskegon another chance now that the smell's gone :)
ReplyDeleteThis is hilarious, Imaginer. You could easily write a list for Portlanders I'm sure ;)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Ellen :)
ReplyDelete