I'm a Yankee Doodle Dandy

When most people think of New York, they think of taxi cabs and traffic, the bright lights of Broadway, and Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve. I think most people would be surprised to find that this urban lifestyle represents a minority of New Yorkers. I was born in upstate New York, and come from a long line of New Yorkers who take exception to the fact that when people hear you are from New York; they automatically assume you are from the city. I must admit that I have never been to New York City, and I believe that the northern portion of the state is a truer representation of the society and heritage of New York.

In stark contrast to the skyscrapers of New York City, upstate New York is nestled in the Adirondack Mountains. There are many hills and valleys, trees, lakes and farms as well as wildlife. My mother grew up on a true working farm and continued the tradition of home grown food with our family. We had a garden that covered a large portion of our property. Our land also boasted a bubbling stream and a chicken coup. Most Maple trees in my neighborhood had small, metal buckets hanging from them to collect sap for making maple syrup. My neighborhood was also home to Eagle Mills Cider Company, a large apple orchard with an apple cider press powered by a 100 year old water mill. This mill is still operational today.

Instead of looking into the next tenant building, my bedroom window overlooked a gently sloping hill covered in wild raspberries. My room also had a magnificent view of our neighbor's illustrious flower gardens. In the summer, while city dwellers sweltered in the evening heat, I would fall asleep as the gentle breeze carried the bouquet of honeysuckle, gladiolas and bell flowers.

While most occupants of New York City received their winter heat from boilers or oil delivered by large trucks, my family relied on a wood burning stove in the basement of our home. Every fall, several cords of wood would be delivered to our front yard. This wood was cut to size, split and stacked to the ceiling of our two car garage. Every member of the family had an assigned chore in this process and no one rested until the garage was bursting at the seams with firewood. Once finished, we were exhausted and covered in sawdust, but we were also bound together by our teamwork and accomplishment.

I have never lived in a multi-story apartment building, played in a fire hydrant, or walked through Central Park. I have never been to Yankee Stadium, nor have I seen the Statue of Liberty, but I am a New Yorker. New Yorkers come in every shape and size. They come from backgrounds urban and rural, and each contributes to the distinctive flavor that is New York.