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AudreySchappler
SheilaFielding
Writing103Section40
31January2016
BedfordMadeMeWhoIAm
Iamastrongbelieverthatapersonsidentityisgreatlyimpactedbywheretheygrewup.
AchildhoodandadolescenceinBedford,NewHampshirediffersfromaplacesuchasBoston,
notonlybecauseitresidesinNewHampshire,butbecauseitisasuburb.Everytruesuburbis
theoutcomeoftwoopposingforces,anattractiontowardtheopportunitiesofthegreatcityanda
simultaneousrepulsionagainsturbanlife(Fishman26).Bedfordistheperfectmixbetweena
citylikeBostonwithvaryingactivities,andaruralsmalltownwithapopulationof3,000people.
IowemyvaluessuchasoptimismandfrugalitytobeingbornandraisedinthesuburbsofNew
Hampshire.
Livinginasuburbisverydifferentthanlivinginacity.TheU.S.BureauoftheCensus
firstusedthetermsuburbtodesignateanareathathadeconomictiestoanearbycity(because
thepopulationworkedandspentmoneythere)butwasoutsidethecitylimits(Baughman276).
Forexample,BedfordhassimilarrestaurantsandactivitiesasManchester,itsneighboringcity,
buttheatmosphereisentirelydifferent.Anexplanationofthiscouldbethatsuburbsformnot
onlyfromgeographiclocationbutfromvaryingsocialfactors:separationofclass,religion,
culture,ethnicity,economicstatus,etc.EventhoughBedfordandManchesterbordereachother,

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therearenoticeabledifferences.DrivingthroughManchesterImayseegraffiti,trashonthe
ground,traffic,orhousesandapartmentsthatarenottakencareof.DrivingthroughBedford
however,Imayseekidsplayingintheiryardsoratthepark,niceschools,orhousesthatare
thoroughlydecoratedforeachholiday.Itisdifferenceslikethesethatimpactachildwhenthey
areattheageofbeingeasilyinfluenced.
NewHampshireisnotlikeeverystateinAmerica.Forexample,thestatemottoisLive
FreeorDie.ThisfourwordphraserepresentshowNewHampshiritesaretaughttoliveby.The
mottohastaughtmetoembracelifeandtotakeadvantageofmysurroundings.Anotheraspect
ofNewHampshirethatIamproudofisitsbeauty.SinceWorldWarII,tourismhasbeenone
ofthestatesfastestgrowingsourcesofincome(NewHampshire539).Itispackedfullof
greenwoodstoexplore,hillsandmountainstohikeup,andstunningnaturalviewstoadmire.
Livinginaplacelikethishasledmetoappreciatethesmallandsimplethingsinlife,suchasthe
loveandsupportfrommyfamily.Yesitisenjoyabletohavematerialobjectsanddevices,butI
knowthattheyarenotcriticaltopossess.Thosetypesofitemsareonlywants,andwhenIdo
buythemIcanappreciatethemmuchmorethansomepeopleIhavecometoknow.
In2004,NewHampshirewasranked7thintheU.S.forpercapitapersonalincome
(NewHampshire539).Iknowfromexperienceandfromthisstatisticthatnoteveryonein
NewHampshire,especiallypeoplefromBedford,ishurtingformoney.Therearepeoplewho
areveryfortunate,whethertheyworkedhardandearnedtheirmoneyornot.Bedfordbeing
viewedasanupscaleresidentialtownhasshapedsomeofmyqualitiesasaperson.Especially
frommyjob,Ihavewitnessedindividualswhodidnotearntheirownmoneyandwasteitaway
onunnecessarymaterialobjects.Ihavebeenraisedtoworkhard,appreciate,andsavemy

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money.Asaresult,IamalwaysdisgustedwhenIseepeoplewhoareungratefulforwhatthey
haveandarecarelesswiththeirmoney.Growingup,Ibecamemoreandmorefrugal,evenmore
sowhenIstartedmyjob3yearsagoatanupscaleclothingandjewelryboutique.Thisjobwas
notalwayseasy.Everynowandthen,arudecustomerwithseeminglyinfiniteamountsofmoney
wouldcomein.Iwasexpectedtohelpthatcustomerandbepolitenomatterhowmuch
disrespecttheyshowed.Thisjobtaughtmenotonlyprofessionalism,butthevaluableskillsof
toleranceandmakingthoughtfulpurchases.
IfIweretoreflectonmychildhood,Iwouldrememberhappiness,love,andsupport.I
amgratefulofthatfactbecauseIknownoteveryonehasthesimplechildhoodthatIdid.I
believeafactorofmychildhoodisthelowcrimerateinBedford,comparedtothenearbycities
ofBostonandManchester.AlthoughIamappreciativethatIdidnothavetogrowupexposedto
alotofcrime,itledmetobepartiallyshelteredasaperson.Experiencingdifferentcultures
mademeawarethatIeasilybecomenervousanduneasyaroundpotentialcrimesordangerous
activitiesthatmanypeopleareaccustomedtoalready.However,Idonotlookatthatfactasa
flaw.Inaddition,thelowcrimeratehasledmetobeaveryoptimisticperson.Ihavealways
lookedforthegoodinpeoplebeforeIaccepttheirflawsorseethemascorrupt.Forexample,ifI
hearthatsomeonerobbedastore,myimmediatethoughtwouldbetoquestionwhathardships
theyaregoingthroughthatpushedthemtocommitthecrime,whereasmanypeoplewould
judgewithouthesitation.IconfidentlycontributemyoptimismtolivinginasuburblikeBedford.
Itisveryapparentthat,notonlythestate,butBedfordplacesahighlevelofimportance
oneducation.NewHampshirehasatotaloftwentysevencollegesanduniversities,excluding
themanycommunitycollegesspreadoutthroughthestate.I,likemanyotherkidsfromBedford,

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wasraisedinawaywherewedidnotquestionourplansafterhighschool.Itwasasocialnorm
thatafterhighschool,youmoveontoanotherformofschoolsuchasauniversityora
communitycollege.Forexample,whenastudentgraduatesfromBedfordHighSchooltheyare
notaskedwhatareyourplansfornextyear?,theyareaskedwhatschoolwillyoube
attendinginthefall?.KnowingthatthisnormisuniquetoBedford,Iamverygratefulforthe
opportunitiesthatareavailabletome.Inaddition,BedfordHighSchoolgavemetheopportunity
oftakingAPandIBclasses.Meanwhile,mycomfortzonewaspushedandIbecameavery
drivenanddeterminedstudent,whichembeddeditselfintomypersonality.
AlthoughIbelieveBedford,NewHampshireistheperfectplacetogrowup,itcomes
withstereotypes.ThemostcommononeisthatNewHampshire,especiallyBedford,ismadeup
solelyofwealthyfamiliesandindividuals.Becauseofthis,Iwasstereotypedasbeingasnobby,
spoiled,andrichgirl.Personally,Ibecomeextremelyoffendedwhenpeopleassumethisofme
anditonlypushesmehardertoliveoutsidethisstereotype.ItakegreatprideinthefactthatI
workhardformyownmoney,andthepeoplewhotakethetimetoknowmeasapersonwould
confirmthatIdonotrepresentthismisconception.
Bedfordisnotperfect,butIcontributemypersonalityandqualitiestoit.Bedfordshaped
meintoanoptimistic,frugal,hardworking,andcaringperson.BecauseoftheplaceofwhichI
wasraised,Ihaveaveryhopefulandpositiveviewofthisworld.Ilookforthegoodin
everyone,Iamconstantlycuriousofdifferentcultures,andmystatemottotaughtmetotake
advantageofwhatlifeoffers.Allinall,IcouldnotbemoreproudtobeaproductofBedford,
NewHampshire.

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st
ThisselfiewastakenSunday,January31
at1:33pm.Thepicturedisplaysthesignthat

isusuallyplacedonmydesk,allowingmetoberemindedeverydayofmystatesmotto.I
boughtthissignwhenImadethedecisiontogotoschoolinVirginia.Thissignisareminderof
myhome,myfamily,myvalues,andthequalitiesthatmakeupwhoIam.Ineverwanttoforget
theplacewhereIcomefromjustasIneverwanttolosewhoIamasaperson.Allinall,this
signrepresentsmyprideofNewHampshire.

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"TownofBedford,NHAbouttheTown."
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