The Great Mix-up

The east side of St. Louis, Missouri contains its downtown area. You'll find in the "Gateway to the West" one of the most beautiful and recognizable skylines imaginable. The Arch is breathtaking. In fact, there is very little that can be said about the downtown area that would be negative. Nestled on the west side of the Mississippi river bank, St. Louis is inviting, engaging.

On the other side of the Mississippi River lies the garden of hopelessness. East St. Louis, Illinois. The contrast between the two cities- the prosperity versus the poverty, capitalism versus crime. But there is a difference - much like the "Kansas Citys" (Kansas City, MO and KS). I find that I have to correct people when they introduce me and say that I grew up in St. Louis. Not true. I grew up in the St. Louis area, but not in St. Louis. Two entirely different cities; two entirely different states.

The frustration I feel is often overlooked or mistaken. It's like being the ugly but one smart in the family and the gorgeous sister who was 16 before she learned to tie her shoes (don't worry, I won't name names). That's East St. Louis, Illinois. It exists in the shadows of the metropolis, only garnering negative attention. For reasons unknown, East St. Louis can never be the great pseudo-metropolis that it once was, nor can it ever escape the devastation that has overtaken it these past few decades.

The decline was gradual so it wasn't really noticed by many of us who lived there until we left. Each return visit brought a new revelation that another store had closed, potholes were larger, more houses were empty or burned down. My street which was on the edge of Collinsville and considered fairly ritzy was now littered with vacant lots and dilapidated buildings. From a block away, I could see at least three gardens- one probably belonging to my mother who hated to waste anything including space.

Few of the people that I knew chose to stay in East St. Louis after high school. Even fewer returned to live there after college. Most chose their new environments to call home. Most would not correct you if you mistook East St. Louis for St. Louis in your conversations. There are even those that are downright embarrassed at the place that nurtured them and forged them into the people that they are now.

The Great Mistake is this: The notion that intelligent, articulate, well-read beings could only come from the west side of the Mississippi is a faulty assumption. I should know. I still know.