Monday, July 12, 2010

Tracking the Silver Fox




On my blogs, I often refer to several towns and cities in my area of Massachusetts. In case you're the type -- and I can think of maybe two or three of you that would be -- who likes to put things in perspective (literally), here's a map showing my current town, and those surrounding it which are occasionally or often mentioned here and on my old David'Z RantZ blog.

Some quick examples (in absolutely no particular order) of how these towns are "important" would include:

Oxford -- Grew up and went to school here. Learned to love the abridged, "children's" version of the novel Moby-Dick here, thanks to Oxford's public library. Features prominently in the earliest chapters of My Island.

Webster -- Where I live now.

Sutton -- I lived on a farm here for the first two years of my life, and actually have a handful of memories from here.

Auburn -- My Dad grew up there, my parents lived there for a while after they married, and Diana from Auburn features prominently in almost all of My Island.

Worcester -- Ahhh, the nearest "big city!" It's pronounced "Wooster," not "Woostah," and there's no freakin' H in the word. Lots of references to it, and not only in My Island. The home of one of my favorite jobs ever, a comic book shop and "pop culture emporium" known as That's Entertainment. Also figures prominently in my highly-recommended multi-parter about the most dangerous "research" project I ever did.

Charlton -- Lots of drinking done there during my late adolescence. Lots of back-road "parking" done there with various young ladies during my late adolescence. In other words... lots of great memories there from my late adolescence.

Southbridge -- The town I can never seem to "escape" from. I lived here for several years and never really liked it. I was engaged twice to women who lived here. My sister lives here. My mother lived here off and on for the last few years of her life. Southbridge was the home of my last full-time "Crappy Day Job," and it's where my current, not-crappy part-time job is. Constant references to it on this blog and David'Z RantZ. Figures prominently in most of the later chapters of My Island.

Just another quick note: Living in Massachusetts does not mean I live anywhere near Boston -- I'm about an hour's drive away -- and I do not sound like one of the Kennedys when I talk. I even pronounce the Rs at the end of my words! Who'da thunk it?

Now, I know some of you may be saying, "Geez, David, why didn't you just give us all a map right to your home? Aren't you worried that someone's going to track you down after reading this?"

Oh, please. Would you want to show up, unannounced and unwanted, on the doorstep of someone who'll greet you like this?


Didn't think so.

Thanks for your time.

10 comments:

  1. Not sure if I was one of those who you thought might be fascinated by the geographic context - but I was. Even looked it up in my US Atlas to get a wider perspective. The odd thing about the internet is that it places everyone at equal distances away from oneself - whether they live in Worcester, Worcestershire or Worcester, Mass.

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  2. Heh. Alan, the best part of getting a comment from you on this post is that I know it comes from someone who knows how to pronounce Massachusetts towns like "Worcester" and "Leicester."

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  3. Well what's the point of using all those letters in "Worcestershire" if you are not going to pronounce them???

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  4. @AngelMay: I guess you'd have to ask the British that one. They had the name first.

    And btw, I disagree with your comment yesterday about my being "cuter" than you are. I think you're adorable.

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  5. Just so you know, down here in the Ocean State, and especially in places where the accent is especially thick, like Cveeeeaanstin (that's Cranston for you non-Rhode Islanders). Worcester is pronounced Wistah. We have lazy mouths, I guess.

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  6. can i get back to on that question? ;)

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  7. Not everyone who's unannounced would be unwanted.

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  8. Do you think that's a good idea to show where you live? I mean terrorists could now drop an A-Bomb on you. Or better yet, if the Death Star was overhead, it could vaporize you like they did to Alderan in Star Wars. So sad...

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  9. I know how to pronounce MA towns! But, then again, I was there a few years back and got schooled...by friends and one overly helpful cabbie who found my pronunciation of "Natick" hiiii-larious.

    You guys do have some waaaacky pronunciations out there.

    p.s.
    Word verification: cartha. That's pronounced "cahtha," yes?

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  10. Cake! My favorite Canucklehead!

    Don't you mean: That's pronounced "cahtha," eh?

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