My daughter's elementary school, which opened last year, has, well, not even come close to achieving much cohesiveness to become its own "family" or "community".
Why? Well, first it is always difficult to bring several communities into one fold to create a new one.
It's also a problem if you have, well, ah, some adults who could be perceived as feeling superior to others.
I'm not naming names; what I will say is....my wife and I have certainly felt as if we've been looked "down upon", and not as equals, by some who came from another location.
One reason why I believe this?
Recently, a letter came home from our (yecch) PTA, and in it, they told us to read "The Far West End Press" for a regular column about our school.
That's nice. One problem. Our school isn't anywhere near the "far West End".
The "Far West End" is considered by most to be the most affluent location in the Richmond area, or, at least, north of the James River. Need a three-quarter million dollar home? Head to the Far West End.
Meanwhile, there's the "Northern" part of our area. Nice area, a great mixture of old and new housing, social diversity.....on the whole, a great place to live.
But, if one dared call themselves from "Northern" Henrico, there are plenty of people who would immediately begin pondering the stereotypical assumptions placed on this area, just as any other area gets.
The Far West End is the rich part of town. This is true.
The Northern Henrico area is, well, nice...but....it's nowhere near the West End.
That's the mindset of what I call the "high-society wanna-bes". Apparently some people are so interested in being identified with the ritzy area that they attempt to gravitate their location and identity to it.
Now, let's stop a moment.
QUESTION: Does Northern Henrico have a similar newspaper?
ANSWER: No.
So, is it fair to say that this isn't an issue of desired perception but of necessity? Possibly.
But, let the record state there are two newspapers that cover all of Henrico County, so, therefore, there is a reasonable place to release the news of your school, church, or business from any geographical part of the county.
So, to the figure that, in my mind, kind of seals the point and ends the debate.
I mapped via Yahoo! the school to the two major centers of shopping in both regions. Short Pump Town Center is in the new heart of the Far West End. Virginia Center Commons is as northern Henrico as it gets, on Route 1, with I-95 just behind it, those roads coming right up the middle of the metro Richmond area.
Results:
Distance from school to Short Pump Town Center: 10.4 miles
Distance from school to Virginia Center Commons: 2.4 miles
So, my conclusion?
I cannot and will not spend time trying to "prove" people there have some sort of superiority complex, part of which is wanting to be identified with an area considered "better", because, as I previously said, the Far West End Press may have been their best choice in getting information out to the public.
May have been....
If this complex does exist, it proves conclusively that those of us who don't mind saying they live in "northern Henrico" or "near Virginia Center Commons" have probably been looked at as if we are not first class.
And it's sad. Because, if found to be true, this elitist attitude will prevent a new elementary school desperately in search of an identity and a community from having both until all current parents have left, and a new group arrives without knowing the mess at the outset of the "marriage".
That could take five or ten years.
Who pays? My daughter, and every kid that walks into the school every day.
In life, you can aspire to be whatever you wish...but, do society a favor....
....don't call your aspiration your current identification. It does no one any favors.
:(
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