In case you haven’t noticed, hardly anyone that lives here is a Tucson Native. I kid you not. You can ask five different people where they are from and you will likely get the following answers: New York, Illinois, Michigan, and two other frozen over states that Satan will never step foot in. Just about everyone comes from somewhere else, and settles in here, ready to take on the hell hot summers like a champ. Because 106 degrees on a good day beats five below zero any day, right?
Then there are those of us who aren’t from here, but were dragged here by our parents as some sort of gentle take on biblical punishment. Our parents did not believe in “Spare the rod, spoil the child,” but they did fully buy into “and the meek shall inherit the earth,” so this was their way of wearing us down. “Bring the children to the surface of the sun,” they said. “Eventually they will be so weak from their futile attempts to leave, they will have everything their hearts desire!” they said. *Insert evil laugh*
I fall into that second category. Moved here with mom, from the coolest city in the world, New York, when I was 11. I cried when we left; she cried when we landed. Fitting. I had very little say in the matter (read: NONE), and I remember being shocked out of my mind that this desert of death with the silent “C” actually had grocery stores, stop lights, and BUSSES! But alas, it wasn’t The Big Apple, and I tried like hell to go back home. I mean, I couldn’t even get a slice of pizza here! What was this place that makes you buy an ENTIRE pizza pie just so you can eat ONE STINKIN’ SLICE? Every summer I lobbied, albeit unsuccessfully, for a one way ticket back to my concrete paradise. Every. Damn. Summer. And then finally, I gave up. I admitted defeat. I couldn’t have my pizza, but I did have my Eegee’s, so I guessed that was better than nothing. Now don’t get me wrong, it was no Mario’s Italian Ice in a yellow cup with a wooden spoon and the syrupy, sugary bottom—but it was somethin’.
I stayed in Tucson until I was 21, and then moved to Phoenix. That’s what you do when you’re itching to live anywhere but here, but you can’t afford to live anywhere but here. I spent five years there, made a brief pit stop back in T-town for a year, and then tried my hand at being a southern girl. TEXAS. Four years. I made a beautiful human in Texas. I made some lifelong friends in Texas. And then I came back because TUCSON. It’s a vacuum. It sucks you in. No matter how bad you want to leave it, no matter how many times you try to leave it, it says “Nope. Sorry kid. You’re mine.” And so you leave, and you come back. You leave, and you come back. You leave and get married, then you come back. You leave again. only to come back and have kids. Why? Because it’s freaking Tucson. It’s the pink and purple and blood orange sunsets. It’s the coyotes howling in the wash at 1 am. It’s the creosote that drives your allergies crazy but smells amazing during the monsoon rains. It’s the ka lichi that strangles everything but cactus, so you have a beautiful xeriscape backyard. It’s the urban farming and the friends with chickens and the friends with goats and the friends with medical marijuana cards Cards Against Humanity. It’s the nag champa that wafts out of Hippie Gypsy on 4th Ave, and the bass pumping house music from the other end of the block at IBT’s. It’s I Stand With Rosa and Black Lives Matter and No DAPL and Marriage Equality. It’s Dia de Los Muertos, Mermaid Festival, and guys on glow in the dark bikes blasting “Jungle Boogie” on random Tuesday nights.
And well. because it’s freakin’ Tucson. And after all these years, and all that back and forth…well…you kind of love it here. Just like me.
Like my little Love Letter To Tucson? Want to write one of your own? Join me and the creator of “Love Letters To Tucson“, Rachel Miller, for Analog Hour with Tap & Bottle and Exo Roast Coffee. Sunday, Sept. 18, noon at Exo Roast Coffee, 403 N. 6th Ave. There will be some reading of past letters submitted and a chance for you to write your very own.
This article appears in Sep 15-21, 2016.
Tucson. Fresno, without the charm.
We are the earth;
Let’s step up our respect and use the right words to demonstrate that our admiration isn’t fleeting or shallow.
“it’s only a search away”…. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caliche
A great place to be “from” (and never come back) if you can make enough money to get out of here. For others we see in certain parts of town that’s hopelessly impossible so their only escape is numbing themselves with drugs and alcohol.
More like a black hole.
With a year of recent experience, agree with the negatives.
So funny, Raytheon was selling Tucson because the closeness to San Diego. Travel time turned into liars poker, those who couldn’t wait to get away, gave the fastest time.
Wonder if that was in Caterpillar’s pitch, too.
Last year ran into newly relocated from San Diego.
Knew her by sight back there in retail industry.
She had worked with a neighbor, too. So that helped as reference.
First things we discussed was the cheapness of housing,
Second was all the poverty and misery and that perspective was from a mid-town point of view.
Thank you Adiba we are glad to have you back. As for the grumpy old men on the thread – you are fooling nobody we get it, your life stinks.
There are lots of people from here. That’s the main problem I have with the attitudes of all those people from frozen-over states. They think Tucson and it’s people didn’t exist until they got here.
There are two types of people in this world: Tucsonans….and everyone else. If you understand what Keep Tucson Shitty means, you will fall in love with the Old Pueblo. If you’re a miserable asshole who bitches about streetcars, potholes, spanish speakers, and the heat. you will hate this place. Oh yeah…we have the best Mexican food in the world.
I love Tucson for a number of reasons but I have also experienced my own fair share or trials and tribulations. Notably, I am lonely as fuck! Most of the really good people I grew up with booked town and never looked back, and many of the other ‘natives’ I know have fallen into drug/alcohol abuse and are not what I want to associate with.
There is a negative stigma with being a local and there always has been. Even as a kid, the children who’s parents dragged them to Tucson wore their hometowns as a badge of honor, with a side of better-than-thou. I have lost track of the number of times people react with what seems like revulsion at finding out that I am a local and how many people seem to lose interest in perusing friendships at that point. Maybe it is surprise or pity but it has made it really difficult to make new friends with people who are not from here because they tend to not want to associate with locals. I get it, I don’t want to associate with the locals either!
Should I just start lying and tell people I am from Colorado? People don’t think I am a local until I tell them, so I can probably get away with it… What do you think? How many of you transplants have local friends?
I prefer “Keep Tucson Gritty!” myself. Never have seen the point in being shitty.
Shitty – “Two bit town speed trap”-style parking tickets around TCC
Gritty – Tucson drivers speeding up at pedestrians in parking lots
Dimwitty – Hispanics flying TRUMP flags on their homes
Tucson is a nice place. I think that people who hate this town, are unrealistic about the potentialls of this town. It’s quiet, and has a lot of things that can be taken as slow. For instance, we have a light rail system that could cross the town but the politicians feel that this cannot be another Portland Oregon. A while ago when I was driving back from Phoenix to move back to Tucson, I took the long way back home through Oracle and on the way back here I heard Tohono O’oham Music and realized I was home. I cried. It was good to be back. And I knew that as a person moving back Tucson This place could be a great place like Portland Oregon. It is up to the rest of us who feel that this is a hellhole, to turn this into a great place. I do not understand why there are so many haters for this place that could be so great. The author of this article needs to have her head checked. The weather is great , And it cools down at night unlike Phoenix. It is up to us to make sure that this town is a great place. We don’t need a baseball team to make us feel great. It does not take some stupid art project to make this place a center of culture. Tucson has been around since colonial times and has thrived despite the fact that there is nothing here, other than a nice place with great people and wonderful surroundings. We are at the taco truck or should I say the Sonora hotdog Capital of the world. This may not be Paris France where Hemingway was king, but this is the place where Edward Abbey would have like to have called home. Mexicans, native Americans, White people, African-Americans, and Asians call this place home. It’s a great place, make it better. Let’s bring jobs here and infrastructure like those found in Portland and Los Angeles, and enjoy The great diversity that exist in this “hell hole that the stupid author” feels exist .
“… actually had grocery stores, stop lights, and BUSSES.”
I’m sure it had buses as well as kisses.
Thank you spelling maaaavvveeeeeeennnnnn…..lol
Dan, i think you missed the whole point of the article. I love tucson. JUST LIKE YOU. I’m fairly sure i don’t need to have my head checked simply because i love it for different reasons. ….
Hello. I am not from here. From other state or other country grew up there. Battle against evil left my family. Main reason I called comsic cloud. Because against negatively vibe from evil spirit but turn to positive vibe. I can move far away. I can beat him I can become inferno. Reason I pray used candle help my breathing practice mediation for many year period. There nothing more you can do here too hot weather only place. However other state is cold. I think all over state or world weather is different. Remind same long time is shit. To think other state is better cold help you relaxed environment. You all need stop argument all time because you refused go to get counseling and you all refused go to la frontera because of case worker agree to tell you need help get house or apartment because it too hot to be here and some of them have no money or no support family off their back. Because you are all struggle with everything is here. You need drink lot water ever day and food is good. Lord said you bad used drugs is no longer good for your health. But evil is liar pit put him to hell one day but devil will go back to hell close him down for long time. Some of you people become unfaithful not respect to my god did not like way you did. I am sorry they cannot come out right now. I think you need to move I think this place is not for student it not apartment and I think it is motel I think it too old and I think it is no longer good and I think it is from India place but sound stupid and sad disappointed at you same time. I agree and I don’t want agree with other people not need judge me I am my right deaf or speak or sign don’t speak used my hands or foreign language period. I am glad for myself no matter how long I left to be and I am leaving. I will love all you.but tear long battle against devil evil pure liar. I will be last winner know as inferno horseman,dragon. Because I am last ask my animals dragon push heat reason I am ready beat demon, Santa, evil failure one. It true heat, true hot sun and that sad for god made sun, earth water, food and damn living for you to think about it hard people lose many job or keep job need money anyway but heat no good fuck tired if this heard me out I am gone I cannot keep me anyway. I am take my dragon far east england, asia somewhere cold. But I am never will see you again but said I love you all goodbyes. It does no matter what happen to that apartment. Need move on and I am move on I am gone out but please leave me alone get away from me. My mom is right bethea for many year love, wealth, health and reason trump good money and I know them very well know my horoscope weather. That why y’all need stop complaining and be accept stop it. If you continue it never will be better for you or all of you. I most highest known I know what to do next. My copd deaf agency office I will call or if you bother me will against you. I will you get out my office hearing people are crazy. They are not pay attention to god. Because demon is liar he is no truth. God is truth. lord will be take away from people. This is my problem and i need fix this. I cannot help you but need to terrible weather and move on. Miss you horrible miss you all. Due weather. Nothing to do about it.
Sunrises and sunsets. The Arizona Sonoran Desert Museum and the old Old Tucson, before the fire. Davis Monthan and the Bone Yard. A-10s and F-16s – the sound of freedom. Coyotes howling inside the city limits and javalina nibbling on my front “yard” plants. Families of quail running on the ground and Harris hawks soaring in the sky above. Monsoon rains and the Stupid Motorist Law. The old TCC, when the water features worked, and Cholla High School, when it was new, before they had to put up all the fencing that makes it look like a minimum security prison today. Tucson has always been a city of contrast with various cultures and civilizations fighting with each other and with nature, even as the people do the same. I have heard it said that although the secret to success may be elusive, the secret to failure is trying to make everyone happy. Tucson will never make everyone happy and perhaps that will be the secret to its success.