Livin Life Brooklyn Style

Brooklyn, NY is an area in south/east NY state (69.5 square miles) that was once "the 3rd largest city in America"(today has close to 2,7 million residents), until it was made a "borough" and no longer qualified for the title.  Brooklyn as a whole, primarily because of it's proximity to Ellis Island and lower Manhattan, has always been one of the most ethnically diverse cities in the world. 

I have always said:

"you don't have to leave Brooklyn to see the world because the world has already come to see Brooklyn and stayed"

My Grandfather's parents came to America at the turn of the 20th century and settled in Sheepshead Bay Brooklyn, a small farming and fishing community in the south/eastern section of the borough where 5 generations of my family and friends were born, lived, laughed, cried, and died.

It is the place where the root of my life was planted and from where the vines of my family spread abroad.   It is the place where the fruit of my family was pressed and drank and it will always be my home this side of heaven.

Generally speaking, growing up in Brooklyn in the 1970's was not unlike growing up in any urban area in America. "The Bay", like most of Brooklyn at the time, was mostly composed of working middle class people (blue collar) who, like my family and myself, have deep roots in the community as well as a deep love and respect for it's history because it is our family's history. That being said, growing up in Brooklyn was not always easy. Yes, Brooklyn had and has many cultures living together within a relatively small geographical area co-existing in relative peace and harmony.  But that doesn't mean that it was a Utopia by any means. It was a good life but it was a hard life as well at times.  The streets of Brooklyn WILL make a young person grow up fast.  While you are getting an academic education from school you are also gaining a real life education from the streets, where one learns the hard way that you have to always be aware of your environment and the people around you. 

Subsequently, after some time and some hard knocks along the way, you eventually learn how to read both, and by the time your street education is complete you are quite prepared to deal with REAL life in the REAL world.  (Unlike today where people are prepared to live in the utopian kumbaya world that the educational indoctrination system prepares them for.)

People with so called "street smarts" tend to see through the smoke and mirrors of this world, as well as the people in it, without much real effort.  Subsequently they also tend to be direct and to the point in expressing what they see as if it is plain to see rather than some deep mystery. Political Correctness?

I seldom say anything with the intent of offending anyone.   However, we live in a world where no matter what you say or how you say it, someone, somewhere, is going to get "offended ".

Subsequently I basically speak and write the way I feel at the time, and let the chips fall where they may!

Why should I care about the thoughts and feelings of people who so blatantly and completely (and happily I might add) disregard and even dismiss my thoughts and feelings?

If you are respectful and civil with me, no matter what our differences might be, I will respond in like and kind.   Period! (if not Brooklyn will come out to play)

Generally speaking however, I believe it is safe to say you will not always like what I have to say, and or you will not always appreciate the manner in which I say what I'm thinking or feeling, but you will ALWAYS know where I stand and where I come down on an issue. I'm not publishing this blog/journal for likes, dislikes, or any kind of social notoriety. I am doing it because I do not like the direction "social media" is going these days. I do not like my friends being denied their right of free speech because what they believe does not align with what the powers that be "think they/we should believe".

Everyone is welcome to participate by commenting on blog posts or by posting in the Forum (membership required). P.S. - Members & The Members List will only be available to other members, all of whom are approved by me. Thanks for reading, have a great day, and I hope to see you here from time to time

May God Bless and Keep You All! William Robert (Thomas) Mullins Jr Bill