Long Island Guy...

I was born, raised and bred on Long Island; that’s right ON, not IN Long Island. I can travel from the south shore to the north shore in twenty minutes, eastern Long Island to western Long Island in an hour and god damnit I love how close I live to the city. Some people take this island for granted, where you can raise a family, eat at various 5-star restaurants, find a job, and fall in love with your hometown. You can live in the slums where you find endless chains of broken down grocery stores and gas stations, check cashing places and liquor stores, or you can live where the rich and famous spawn along golf courses, beaches, and parks. It’s what’s in between where we find a problem. A problem where people believe Long Island isn’t good enough for them and their “dreams.” Some people move away and blame Long Island for their troubles, but Long Island doesn’t care. Long Island is, was, and (hopefully) will always be there for those who enjoy its company, but NOT for those who trash it day in and day out: “Bro its LI duh…go to move to sunny Florida where shit is great all the time.” Yeah, go ahead and move to Florida and make sure to read the fine print on the “Welcome to Florida” sign that blankly states “…where America goes to die.” Blame Long Island for not finding an education, for working at a poor sap’s restaurant getting paid to show some cleavage (thank you), for failing out of art school, for killing your dog, for crashing you car, or for shattering your “dreams.” Dreams are made, and broken, because of you, not because of an island. Just remember one thing: Long Island does not care. Long Island does not want those ON it who continue to bash its beauty and aroma. Life begins with LI, but what you do with your life rests in your hands, only.