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Old 10-23-2008, 08:56 PM
 
5,976 posts, read 15,231,188 times
Reputation: 6710

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I actually started this early this morning, but had a crisis and had to cancel it all. I figured since there was a hate / love thread, I'd make a 'fair and balanced', to paraphrase Muhnay. Of course, pun intended.

I love to visit El Paso because I don't live there anymore. I hate that El Paso does not have an abundance of high paying jobs, so I am glad I don't work there.

Seriously though, I've been lurking on this site, as you frequent lurkers know, for a few months. My observations are that most threads in this forum are wishful, nostalgic, and to a degree, of despair. A lot of dreaming happens on this site, a lot of anger and frustration. Some complain more than others, some who complain loudly are put down by those who complain softly. Some who are sincerely pessimistic are rebutted by those who are dishonestly optimistic. Some who are positive are so because of ignorance. A lot of give and take. Healthy. It's why I keep coming back for more.

When I go back to El Paso, which is usually only when a close relative dies (seriously), I love being back home. It's always new to me; I left there at a mere 17 years of age. I marvel at the changes each time I go back. Most of my family is still there and I like to be with them.

But I don't like the fact that I cannot live there. I cannot earn the same wages, or can even find an employer that has a job that is equal to what I do. I've seen somewhat equivalent jobs at Ft Bliss, and even the City of El Paso, but the pay is less than half of what I earn at my current job.

Some will say it's all about family, don't worry about money, etc. That is simply BS. I have four souls who depend on me, three of which are my children whom I want to give every opportunity that I did not have. A good education, unlike the horrible one I had in El Paso.

I used to be proud to say that I sailed through school, especially high school; that I did not have to study, I was so smart, I just had to pay attention and the fluidity of high scores would flow. More BS. The high school I went to (in Ysleta ISD) was so inadequate, that is what made it easy. Give a monkey enough bananas and he too will pass any test.

Ironically, once I left El Paso, lived a few years without ever giving in to the power of affection of home, I began to see how horrible the education I received was and used the flaw I realized to my advantage. It was the catalyst that forced me to do better. So though I hate that my childhood education was wasted in El Paso, it gave me the incentive to make up for it, perhaps overdoing it a bit. So for that, it was a hate/love situation.

So I am happy, good job, will retire by 55 (ten years) and I treat El Paso as I do any vacation I go on. I look forward to it when I do go. And I travel frequently, for my job, and for leisure. As some may recall, my wife is from Spain, so we visit Barcelona on average about every nine months, children and all. We went to Australia for just over three weeks in April/May, two weeks later for Memorial Day weekend, we went Hawaii (could not pass up a $350 p/p all inclusive deal I found ), and next month the wife and I, sans kids, will go to Italy with friends, just to eat and drink wine. Could I do all that if I lived and worked in El Paso, probably not. And I sincerely do not like that.

I miss the dry weather, the sunshine, the tranquility of the desert, the mountains, and of course, my family. I miss the impromptu parties my parents, aunts and uncles seemed to have almost every weekend. I miss eating breakfast outdoors on the weekends at my uncle's oasis in his backyard, under huge trees. I miss the unannounced visit of my friends that would pick me up and go for a cruise. I miss the weekends when my cousins would also come by to pick me up, and we'd go somewhere and party. I love El Paso for this.

But I hate what El Paso has become. I hate that the neighborhood I grew up in became unrecognizable. I hate that people had to create their own prisons, when I lived in El Paso, there were no iron bars in windows, and on doors on the homes. I hate that Cielo Vista mall looks the same after 30+ years of existence. I hate that when I visit that I can't take my family to Juarez for a great meal, to buy fresh bread and shop, and drink beer in those cafe like places by the mercado. But I hope that the open sewer by the Zaragosa bridge on the Juarez side has been closed!

Then I see what has happened on the East side, where I grew up. Then the East side ended at Yarbrough, with a little of business on Lomaland. And I am glad, and love that El Paso continues to grow. But I hate that it's more of the same. It's growing, yes. But growing just to grow is not good enough. El Paso has to excel, stand out, and I hope it does.

I see the beautiful homes and subdivisions on the West side, but then through the beauty of some homes, I see the ugliness of the forever permanent scars made on the once pristine mountains.

Okay, this is too long now, I could go on and on. I hope it's balanced!

 
Old 10-23-2008, 09:17 PM
 
47,525 posts, read 69,565,345 times
Reputation: 22474
That's a good post.

One thing I really hate about El Paso is that if you have a truck or certain kind of car, you never expect that it will still be where you left it. And I really hate the iron bars on so many windows and doors. And it's true, one of the nice points about living in El Paso used to be that you would walk over to another country -- with different sounds and smells. You could experience a different atmosphere -- enjoy a whole day and/or evening and then head on back. You used to have a pretty cool place to take out of town guests and it really is too bad that it's no longer so.

I like the mountain, the sunsets. I hate the graffitti everywhere -- it makes it look dirty and dangerous when it's not really that dangerous. I hate the inversions in the winter when you want to hold your breath until you're a distance away from town. I hate how you sometimes see a sickish-yellow-gray cloud over El Paso.

I don't like the growth. I miss the wide open spaces, I miss the more rural feel you could find in some areas near town. I hate seeing green acres of alfalfa being plowed under with housing developments of houses packed in like sardines -- all about maximizing profits and no one seems to think outdoor space matters.

I like the big old mulberry trees that keep yards cool and make for a nice summer party underneath. I like the fresh tamales -- red chili and chili con queso. I like how after a hot summer day, the heat radiates from the rock walls and concrete -- yet away from the concrete the air cools off after sundown.
 
Old 10-23-2008, 10:40 PM
 
Location: el paso tx.
756 posts, read 1,996,578 times
Reputation: 402
That was a great post!! that sums up how I feel about about a lot of things here.
I love the food.
I love the people here, some of the nicest people I have met in my life has been here in El Paso.
I love the weather most of the time.
I love the mountains.

I hate that I will not find a job that pays over 8 dollars an hour.
I hate the sand storms.
I hate the schools most of all.
I miss water!!!

I love that I can say that I lived in El Paso for 3 years and met the most wonderful people in my life and learned so much from them.
I love that my kids are learning things that they will take with them for the rest of their life.
but I would not want to stay here forever!!
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