Happy Anyway by Scott Atkinson

Author:Scott Atkinson
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-0-9968367-1-5
Publisher: Belt Publishing
Published: 2016-06-19T04:00:00+00:00

I’m going to turn thirty-four later this year. Very soon I’ll have spent more of my life in the Flint area than I have in the U.K. Despite not having the honor of being born in this place, I do feel like the city is my adopted home. I’m very protective of Flint; I’ll defend it whenever necessary, and I now see how instrumental this city has been in making me the person and artist I am today. However, I still feel slightly uncomfortable claiming that I’m from here, and I think this is because I feel like I haven’t done enough to earn that distinction.

The fact that I choose to remain in Flint sets me apart from the significant number of residents who would like to leave but, for many complex reasons, are unable to. I also understand why not everyone feels the same way about this place as I do. I’m fascinated by those with questionable ties to this place who still embrace the “Flint identity,” perhaps because they think it makes them appear tough, or cool. However if you’re going to claim this identity, you need to earn it. You need to understand and be willing to grapple with the complexities of this community, and be willing to put in the effort to help make this place more just and equitable for everyone who lives here. Being able to claim Flint is a badge of honor, and one that I’m still in the process of earning.

Flint is more than good enough, and certainly fancy enough for a British guy like me. The question I still constantly ask myself, though, is this: Am I good enough for Flint?

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