Where did you grow up and how has it affected you in life?

Gael

Gael

Senior Member
Location
County Down, N Ireland
Where was your childhood spent and did it have any sort of impact on your life/attitudes, etc.?

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Grew up in a Navy family so we traveled up and down the coast of California and around The Pacific Ocean. I was always the new kid in school and that made me learn to make friends quickly and easily. But, also lost friends quickly. Have no long term friends from childhood. Although there are a few from high school. After my military service, came home in 1970 and stayed put. Roots, baby, roots. There's a photo of my dad dipping my baby toes in the water on a beach that I love. My desire to be in, on or around water, especially the sea began early.

Also, learned to respect and adapt to new cultures whether in a foreign land or new and different school yard.
 
I was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, a beautiful city with all the amenities; calm, peaceful, very little crime etc.

Then, just after WWII ended the $h*t hit the fan and everything changed. Now I'm ashamed to admit I was from there.

I went back there a couple of years ago and cruised through my old neighborhood and almost cried when I saw

what it had become; My old beautiful house was in shambles; broken windows, old cars in the driveway up on blocks.

Fortunately, I saw the handwriting on the wall and "Got the hell out of Dodge" when I did, and moved here in So. California. The entire city of Detroit, like Chicago, Cleveland, Buffalo etc. along the "Rust Belt" appear to be the same.
 

That Guy said:
Grew up in a Navy family so we traveled up and down the coast of California and around The Pacific Ocean. I was always the new kid in school and that made me learn to make friends quickly and easily. But, also lost friends quickly. Have no long term friends from childhood. Although there are a few from high school. After my military service, came home in 1970 and stayed put. Roots, baby, roots. There's a photo of my dad dipping my baby toes in the water on a beach that I love. My desire to be in, on or around water, especially the sea began early.

Also, learned to respect and adapt to new cultures whether in a foreign land or new and different school yard.
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That's very interesting. I have often heard that kids who grew up in circumstances that required them to relocate frequently learned some skills that the more stable types didn't. Classic is a lot of actors who attribute some of their abilities to being adapatable and observing a variety of situations from a vagabond childhood.
 
Falcon said:
I was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, a beautiful city with all the amenities; calm, peaceful, very little crime etc.

Then, just after WWII ended the $h*t hit the fan and everything changed. Now I'm ashamed to admit I was from there.

I went back there a couple of years ago and cruised through my old neighborhood and almost cried when I saw

what it had become; My old beautiful house was in shambles; broken windows, old cars in the driveway up on blocks.

Fortunately, I saw the handwriting on the wall and "Got the hell out of Dodge" when I did, and moved here in So. California. The entire city of Detroit, like Chicago, Cleveland, Buffalo etc. along the "Rust Belt" appear to be the same.
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Plenty have had similar experiences when going back to their old locales. The world changes and not always for the better.

I grew up in Jersey City, New Jersey. At that time it was a wonderful place due to it's size and proximity to NYC. And a diverse ethinic mix made for an exposure to various cultures at an early age which has held me in good stead.

Time marched on and it deteriorated. But then a renaissance occured and today it's back on it's feet.

But it gave me an affinity for urban environments, foreign cultures and the arts.

 
I grew up in the big city, in a small apartment in NY. Like Falcon said, it was nice when I was a kid. Even growing up and playing in the streets and on the sidewalks was very good and natural. There was a good mixture of different people in my area, so that was of benefit going to schools with different cultures, etc. I also knew when I was old enough, that things were changing for the worse there, and getting out was wise.

I'm not ashamed of where I was born and raised, but things have greatly deteriorated since way back then. It's a nice place to be from, but I wouldn't want to live there. :p Now I like the more open, natural, country life....get as far away as possible from the noise and hubbub if I can. I love the ocean too, as a child we went to Long Island in the summers, and my parents and siblings held me by my hands and lifted me up over the crashing waves, careful not to let the undertow sweep me away. I still miss the beach, but Colorado is so beautiful, I'll settle for just visits to the Oregon Coast, etc. for my ocean fix.

 
I was raised in and around Houston, mainly around the edges. So I've had both the big city, and the country life. I don't like crowds too much, so our pocket of country is fine. With the freeways, we can be down town in 30 minutes.
 
Gael said:
That's very interesting. I have often heard that kids who grew up in circumstances that required them to relocate frequently learned some skills that the more stable types didn't. Classic is a lot of actors who attribute some of their abilities to being adapatable and observing a variety of situations from a vagabond childhood.
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There's more truth that than you know, Gael. My family suffered a disaster when I was 8 and I was raised in foster homes from then on, separated from my 4 siblings and any other family. I was a "temporary" foster kid which meant one parent was living so I was not adoptable. The deal was, nobody was supposed to get attached...so they moved me at least every year but mostly more.
I learned to read people and immediately "fit in". I learned to give a day's work for a day's dollar. I learned if I wanted it, I had to make it myself and I learned how to take care of myself. I learned to leave it behind, stuff is just stuff. Unfortunately, I tend to do that with people too. I did not learn long-term relationships or to trust and I'm pretty bad at forgiving. I'm still workin' on that part.

Don't get me wrong, I've had a great childhood....through my grandkids.

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Good to hear you were strong enough to fare well during those tough times Lonelynorthwind. Your grandchildren are precious, so proud of their big fish...wonderful photo! :love_heart:
 
SeaBreeze said:
I grew up in the big city, in a small apartment in NY. Like Falcon said, it was nice when I was a kid. Even growing up and playing in the streets and on the sidewalks was very good and natural. There was a good mixture of different people in my area, so that was of benefit going to schools with different cultures, etc. I also knew when I was old enough, that things were changing for the worse there, and getting out was wise.

I'm not ashamed of where I was born and raised, but things have greatly deteriorated since way back then. It's a nice place to be from, but I wouldn't want to live there. :p Now I like the more open, natural, country life....get as far away as possible from the noise and hubbub if I can. I love the ocean too, as a child we went to Long Island in the summers, and my parents and siblings held me by my hands and lifted me up over the crashing waves, careful not to let the undertow sweep me away. I still miss the beach, but Colorado is so beautiful, I'll settle for just visits to the Oregon Coast, etc. for my ocean fix.

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Are you saying you grew up in NYC?
 
Ina said:
I was raised in and around Houston, mainly around the edges. So I've had both the big city, and the country life. I don't like crowds too much, so our pocket of country is fine. With the freeways, we can be down town in 30 minutes.
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So then did growing up in teh Houston area make for your dislike of crowded locales?

I found growing up in a city gave me a tolerance of cities in general though I also like rural and am happy with both.

Many here in Ireland can't tolerate crowds as they just are not used to them. I feel comfortable enough in cities though I prefer a quieter environment to actually live in. Cities for me have the excitement factor and access to so much.
 
lonelynorthwind said:
There's more truth that than you know, Gael. My family suffered a disaster when I was 8 and I was raised in foster homes from then on, separated from my 4 siblings and any other family. I was a "temporary" foster kid which meant one parent was living so I was not adoptable. The deal was, nobody was supposed to get attached...so they moved me at least every year but mostly more.
I learned to read people and immediately "fit in". I learned to give a day's work for a day's dollar. I learned if I wanted it, I had to make it myself and I learned how to take care of myself. I learned to leave it behind, stuff is just stuff. Unfortunately, I tend to do that with people too. I did not learn long-term relationships or to trust and I'm pretty bad at forgiving. I'm still workin' on that part.

Don't get me wrong, I've had a great childhood....through my grandkids.

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Gorgeous grands and obviously your moving about helped you in some respects and not in others. But we're all works in progress anyway I think.
 
I think living on a small island for the first 19 years of my life probably had some effect on me, but I can't think of anything specifically at the moment.
 
Justme said:
I think living on a small island for the first 19 years of my life probably had some effect on me, but I can't think of anything specifically at the moment.
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Off the top of my head I'd think it may have had an effect on your socialization skills perhaps? But that depends on how involved you were with others even in a small environment.
 
Gael said:
Off the top of my head I'd think it may have had an effect on your socialization skills perhaps? But that depends on how involved you were with others even in a small environment.
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I am not quite sure what you mean by my socialization skills? I have never had a problem socializing when I am in the mood to do so.
 
I was born in an area with one gas station/store. There was a church, and a school, that was it. Beautiful place though, changed a lot now just from the properties being sold to build houses on. Still just one store etc. though.

We moved a lot because my mom was married 8 times. Sometimes I'd come home from school to a whole, new house. Mom pick us up, my little bro and I, and when we got home it was a different house and a new dad, yuck.

But I did get to live in the country most of my childhood. I got to ride horses, and be outside all day, in the Summers. We got to run free pretty much, but were luckily pretty good kids, didn't get in any major trouble. I was like TG, always the new kid, and it was hard. I'm sure it was hard on my bro too. But like with TG, it made me able to "never meet a stranger" as I got older. I got to be in one, high-school for my Jr. Sr. year which was neat. I actually still have friends from that, right in this area.

My fave memories (well, there are a bunch) but the ones where we camped out were the best, even if in our own yard. We would get to ride horses, always bareback, and we would take them to the creek (big creek with nice, deep swimming hole) and go in right off the horses back:) swim around, and crawl back on:) We always got to have a dog, kitty or both.
 
littleowl said:
I was born in a Mining village OOP T North.

If you had all of your teeth at 12 you were a wimp.:) :) :)
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LOL, oh LO :( lots of fights hey? A mining village would be something. I think of that movie called "How Green Was My Valley" man what a tear-jerker that was, but off-hand, can't think of a worse job, not even the poopoo plant my brother-in-law worked at all his life;)
 
Ina said:
I was raised in and around Houston, mainly around the edges. So I've had both the big city, and the country life. I don't like crowds too much, so our pocket of country is fine. With the freeways, we can be down town in 30 minutes.
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I've been down your way Ina, drove those freeways by myself and little dog. We also went through El Paso, and San Antonia, what a ride that was! I visited some horse-peeps in Humble, I was doing endurance-riding at the time, yuck, still don't know why I ever did that. Well, I do know, my X loved it and wanted me to. Almost ruined me on riding for pleasure. Oh well, nuther story;)
 
Justme said:
I think living on a small island for the first 19 years of my life probably had some effect on me, but I can't think of anything specifically at the moment.
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Lived on a few islands of varying size from tiny to large off and on for the first 18 years of my life. I loved it!
 
That Guy said:
Lived on a few islands of varying size from tiny to large off and on for the first 18 years of my life. I loved it!
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I go back to my home island to visit relatives usually once a year, but would never want to live there again. The UK is my home; I have lived here for nearly 45 years.
 
That Guy said:
Growing up in such beautiful country with lots of good fun for kids probably saved you from the chaos, nwlady.
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I agree, we were always sent out to play, but it was ok for sure. I remember my little bro and I building a small fort in the rain. We were out rain/shine/sleet and snow;)
 

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