Friday, April 24, 2009

Cause tonight Im gonna take that ride, across the river to the Jersey side...

I find myself a lot more in New Jersey these days.

The stigma behind New Jersey reminds me of the stigma between Texas and Oklahoma. Analogy: New York is to New Jersey as Texas is to Oklahoma.

I remember a time when I drove to see Roger Clyne and The Peacemakers show in Norman, OK. Making the 2 1/2 drive you don't really notice much- there's not much difference between one highway to the next. The landscape doesn't really change much either, still mostly flat, the occasional gathering of rolling hills, real Zane Grey stuff if you catch my drift.

But for numerous reasons, Oklahoma and Texas are worlds apart, just as New Jersey and New York are worlds apart. A simple imaginary line, just an etching on some 200 year old map and now you have a cultural clash you can equate with the Britons and the Gauls.
True, neither is as picturesque as the other wants it to be: New York is the place of high rise apartments, crowded streets and the exercise in opportunity where New Jersey is treated as a bastard step-child of modern America. Which I feel is not so. This isn't denying the half-baked New Yorker in me (I say half-baked because it will only be a full two years come August), but New Jersey, you don't deserve it. You got all the best parts that New York lacks, and you're closer to us than any Westchester or Orange Counties burg may be. Plus, you're the epitome of American youth culture.
Forget the big cities, you want youth culture, you have to look at Orange County, California or Livingston, New Jersey. You're not going to hit the middle of the mark any more than these two places. They scream Hollister. They scream American Apparel. They scream bands like 3oh!3 and The Metro. It's Valley Girl-mallesque all over.
Yes, Tom Petty, Free Fallin' at it's best.

So, New Jersey, don't take it so hard. You're all right by me.



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