Posts tagged with 'leaving Massachusetts'

Absence will make the Pats fan fonder…

  • Posted on July 31, 2009 at 4:52 pm

Ouch.  I’ve been so psyched to move down to Atlanta.  I have only 4 weeks left in Boston.  Amid the headaches of moving a car and furniture, changing insurance and bank accounts, and planning the 18-hour drive, I hadn’t realized something far more daunting than moving my whole life 1100 miles was creeping up behind me.  Football season rapidly approaches.  News and gossip about the upcoming season are taking up more and more air time on ESPN and eating up more pages of the latest Sports Illustrated(which arrived on my doorstep, even though no one in my home subscribes, hmm).  All due respect to the Atlanta Falcons, I’m a Patriots fan.  I was born and raised here, and despite having a New York-born father, who is a diehard Giants fan, I’m New England all the way.  Even without our star QB, even if we have a bad season, even if I’m in Atlanta.  I find when people move to Boston, they inevitably get swept into our vivacious sports culture.  They start sporting a Sox hat, they stop teasing Belichick’s sleeve style, and they embrace the wearing of the green during basketball season.  New Englanders inspire loyalty and draw fans into our ever-growing network.  Well, we don’t invite New Yorkers, but that goes without saying. 

I cannot picture myself, after any amount of time, converting to Falcon fanship.  Sorry, Georgia, Massachusetts wins this one.  And, Beloved Football Season, I can’t wait to see you again!

What is PurplePlease?

  • Posted on July 7, 2009 at 3:17 am

After 25 years in the bluest of blue states, Massachusetts, I am packing up the gas-guzzler and crossing the Mason-Dixon. I am moving from Boston to Atlanta, and I’m sharing all the details as I go. The decision to move is based almost entirely on the weather. A passionate fan of all things New England, my love for this area will never die. Unfortunately, though, my body will never be any good at bearing the cold. As I struggled through 25 winters, toes turning blue, skin drying out, back breaking with each shovelful of heavy, wet, snow, I always dreamed of a warmer lifestyle. Atlanta, here I come! Oh, to go out running year-round! No mittens, no shovel, no tire chains.

Oh, and then there’s that whole political thing. After 25 years in a Blue State, how will Red State life treat me?

Well, I’m an Independent. I believe firmly in my no-party position. Why blindly follow a herd? In different Primaries I have pulled Democratic or Republican tickets. Being PURPLE is about evaluating the candidate, not checking the fanship box. The right to vote comes with the responsibility to do our homework. We have to look at all the angles. That means not only repeating what our preferred news network says about a candidate, but also watching the opposing station. It means finding both sides, finding the good and bad of both Red and Blue. It means rising above the lazy, I-always-check-Dem or
I-always-check-Rep attitude. Red Staters think Blue Staters are from Mars. Blue Staters think Red Staters are out of touch. Maybe we should all try on a little PURPLE.

On this blog, I will share my PURPLE take on current issues. Sometimes I’ll rag on the Red Team, sometimes I’ll beat on the Blue Team. I’m sure I’ll gain some fans and some enemies, and I expect some

raised eyebrows as well. What I won’t do is hop on the hatred bandwagon. I look for the truth, I think about what’s best for everyone, and I tell it like it is. I will also explore the cultural differences between MA and GA. From standard of living to manners in public, I’ve already got a list brewing in my mind.

Take this journey with me, looking back at 25 years in Boston, and forward to …how many years will I spend in Atlanta? We’ll find out together. Go Purple!

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