Buffalo Homecoming - The Other Stories
Geek wants your story.
You know, the warm fuzzy “Why I left Buffalo but came back, I never lived here before but just had to come to Buffalo” type stories. And as Buffalo Homecoming (FKA Old Home Week) approaches, we will see a slew of these.
But I would like to hear the other stories. You know, the “I never left WNY/Buffalo because” stories. And I count those who returned to the area immediately after serving in the military in this category.
What I would like to know:
Why did you stay? Family? Loving the 4 seasons? Had a Great job? A general sense of belonging?
Were there any hardships you faced by staying? Any opportunities that you willingly passed on in order to stay?
I would like to hear from the people who stayed to keep the lights on so Chris could find his way back. The ones who formed a welcoming committee for pundit when he came here to settle.
The best thing about working with Chris, Marti and the others on Buffalo Homecoming is that I get to meet people that fit in all the categories. It is great to be a never left working with transplants, repats, whatever you want to call them. And every single one is there to celebrate today’s Buffalo, to promote Buffalo, and share Buffalo.
Oh yeah, my story? I’m here because a higher power has pushed me here:
I joined the service right out of Williamsville South high school to “See the world”. My first duty station was in Pennsylvania. Pretty close to home. So I put in a volunteer statement for overseas, still trying to “See the world”. I received orders shortly thereafter.
For a small radar site located in Lockport NY.
20 Minutes from my family.
Where I met my wife.
I got out of the service and almost immediately found a decent job with decent salary and benefits. Next year I will be eligible to retire from said job.
Sometimes when you try to leave, you just get closer.
February 28th, 2008 at 9:09 am
“Why did you stay?
Thank you Paul Dub for asking this as an alternate to Geek’s “why did you come back?” post.
This is my story. I, along with 3 siblings & 2 parents were all born, raised, educated and made a life for ourselves in the City of Buffalo. I am the only family member stilling living within. Some living in other towns, some living in other states. Why do I stay? Because I still beleive in the dream that Buffalo is the greatest place to live, work & raise a family. Politics? Every city has it. Crime? Every city has it. A poor economy? Hello, that’s America.
We just deal with it the best we can and keep moving on.
What does Buffalo offer me? It’s the culture of a beautiful building downtown. It’s the history of Buffalo being the last stop on the Underground Railroad. It’s the nature of going to a park and taking pictures of all the seasons we can appreciate.
Pick up the Buffalo News, turn on a local network news channel, it’s easy to get “fed-up” (hense the blogging name) but we can be fed up anywhere, right?
There are so many great things in Buffalo. As with the bad, there’s always the good, and I stay in Buffalo because I’m not ready to give up on the dreams. I stay because I am involved in helping the city I love.
October 14th, 2008 at 6:10 am
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