My so called life

You know when you watch a movie and you think "this isn't how real life is"? You sit there laughing as the 28 year old prom queen drives through her perfect suburban town in her red corvette, or the dream guy races through the airport to stop his love from making "the biggest mistake of her life"? Well, sometimes that's how I feel about my own life. Sometimes I feel like its a little too ideal, that I have just too many great things going for me, that this just can't be real.

For anyone vaguely familiar with Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia, you've heard the jokes. You've probably heard how its filled with "wasps and snobs and old money". But Chestnut Hill isn't so surreal to me because of its prestige, history, or beauty. If you've ever spent a significant amount of time there you know that what makes Chestnut Hill so special is the amazing people who live their and the undeniable sense of community we all have. Although the stereotypes present themselves, the Hill is also filled with some of the funniest, most interesting, most caring people in the city. I've known many of them since childhood and my father knew many of their parents. Others I hadn't met until the past few years, but already they feel like family to me.

When I first came to college, a friend of mine looked at the pictures on my wall, her face contorted with confusion. "Ok, so I don't get it," she finally said. "how did you meet all these guys if you went to an all girls school?" I told her about CHA, our brother school, but then I also explained how my friends had gone to a variety of highschools all over the city. "well then how did you meet?" she asked only more confused. I shrugged my shoulders not really sure of the answer. "Around the neighborhood I guess" I finally managed to say.

To my friend this concept was so alien. For her, growing up in suburban New York, your friends went to your high school. Maybe you knew the names of a few other people from area schools if you played sports, but you certainly never interacted. She didn't understand living in a neighborhood where, at twelve years old, you already had a social network comparable to that of a thirty year old.

If you've been lucky enough to grow up in the neighborhood you know exactly what I'm talking about. Spend any night at Solaris, Toweys, or Hill Tavern and you'll most likely run into an old friend, someone you haven't seen in years but are so happy you did; Drive through the streets by the golf courses or the Watertower and you'll probably be able to spot a friend just by the car they're in, the same one they've been driving for years; Or just try walking into Wawa without seeing someone you know- trust me, it won't happen.

We all joke about how boring Chestnut Hill is, but try and name another neighborhood in Philly who has what we do. Sure, Manayunk has great nightlife and Society Hill has some gorgeous homes, but neither of them have the sense of community that's so present in Chestnut Hill. It's so rare to be able to walk to your friends house or to the store for some milk. It may sound old-fashioned but I wouldn't trade it for the world. So for everyone who wants to make the jokes, for all of you who stick your noses up at us for, well, sticking our noses up, that's fine. Maybe it makes us snobs, but if that's the way you feel, we don't want you anyways. But if you're willing to look past the stereotypes and get to know us, I think you'll find a group of people who, though slightly neurotic, are as welcoming as they come.