meghan [ is in california til august 12 ]

I am from Jenny's pizza, Mike's Roast Beef, Christies Subs, And anything that's big and quick.
I am from cans of tonic, big red parade cups, bottels of bud and ciggarette Smoke.
I am from monuments, steeples, schoolhouses, projects and priests.
I am from rubling trucks, hissing busses, steaming tankers, and the old Laughter of firemen.
I am from bricks, pavement, cement, sand and gravel.
I am from lace certains, crystal chandeliers, shiny tabels and fancy Forks.
I am from boots, scaly caps, handcuffs, necties and shamrocks.
I am from Main St., Medford St., Mishawaum, New Towne, The Bunker, and The Projects.
I am from TOWNIES , yuppies , good kids and damned liberals.
I am from oscars, snappers, bappers, and dope.
I am from the only square mile in the world where people neither see nor Hear anything.
I am from five-minute walks to the store, close friends and nosey Neighbors.
I am from battered busses, broken promises and disappearing traditions.
I from rumors, confessionals, secrets and stories.
I am from skating rinks, rundown tennis courts and street corners.
I am from silence , fear, family and loyalty.
I am from good parents, bad decisions, racist teachers and oldest Public school in the nation.
I am from crests, claddaghs, tattos and crosses.
I am from skinned knees, broken windows, taped bats and nylon pants.
I am from the dead, the living, the confused and the lost.
I am from dogs barking, babies crying, mothers swearing and fathers Singing.
I am from men, mothers and boys.
I am from drakness, twilight, candels and six o'clock masses.
I am from late nights, rough mornings, wasted afternoons and bottels of Asprin.
I am from love, frustration, loneliness and anger .
I am from older sisters, little cousins, missing fathers and locked up uncles.
I am from Hail Marys, Our Fathers, absolution and The Apostle's Creed.
I am from court orders, worried parents, intense protest and violent Riots.
I am from heavy wallets, hot stocks, empty cabinets and late walfare Checks.
I am from contradictions, oxymorons, mixed messages and general change.
I AM FROM THE GREATEST TOWN IN THE WORLD.
I AM FROM CHARLESTOWN *
TOWNIES NUMBER 1

CHARLESTOWN TRAITS/YOU KNOW YOU'RE FROM CHARLESTOWN WHEN ...

-you were born and raised in charlestown
-you're either the fourth or fifth generation living there
-you're full IRISH or your many other nationalities but you represent your IRISH side the most
-you bought a townie hoodie at the red store or use to have one
-even the the parade sucks, you love the bunker hill day parade and its one of the best times of the year (as well as saint patty's day)
-you know everyone (literally) and their business
-you call speedy wongs, speedies
-you hate yuppies and tourist
-you've jumped in the oilies or off the crane in the harbor
-you went in afterhours (and if you didn't you still know what it means)
-you say i'm going DOWN the projects, but UP the bunka, DOWN the navy yard, but UP the monument etc.
-you know the sullivan sq. is still part of ctown
-you've heard the tom doyle song "charlestown" and even though it makes fun of ctown you still love it
-you've gone to st. catherine's midnight mass or the 6 o'clock masses
-you remember when fr. coyne use to wear his snoopy robes
-you went to st. catherines/charlestown catholic and you had mrs. o'shea or sr. rosemary as a teacher
-lori ann's always had the best donuts
-you love jenny's and christy's but you miss godfathers, jopas, and all those other stores
- you don't know what people mean when they say store24 , it's " store two four "
-you were a member of the boys and girls club once in your life
-everytime you hear the word "charlestown" or "townie" you get wicked excited
-you say wicked alot and have a wicked strong boston accent
-you call your living room a "pahlah"
-you know what a boss of tonic is
-you walked up and down main street aimlessly
-you know where "sully's" is and where "old sully's" is
-when you were little you eitha were part of the colorgaurd team, played on a little league team, or played gym hockey
-you say "yous" instead of you guys
-you eitha lived in mishawam, the projects, or newtowne .. or you know people that live there
-you hated the code of silence, but you still live by it
-you get disappointed everytime they don't put ctown on a map of boston
-when you were little your mom would scream your name wicked loud just so that you can come home for dinner (especailly in mishawam)
-you've owned a pair of shelltoes
-you're not scared to walk around ctown by yourself
-everytime you pass by a church or funeral home you make the sign of the cross (or when your hear an syren)
-everytime you see a firetruck go by you always follow it to see whats going on
-when you were little you use to draw the monument with a shamrock in the middle and then the irish and charlestown flags hanging down
-you call your grandma "nana"
-you somtimes hate/love charlestown but if someone talks shit you get pissed
-a liquor store is a packie
-on the icecream truck you get jimmies instead of sprinkles and you know the difference between a frappe and a milkshake
-you go to hampton beach like 10 times every summa
-anything outside of boston is the burbs and anything outside of that is the boons
-you say boga instead of ugly
-if some one wants "check" you know what that means
-you've gone "bumpin" down main st. when it snows
-you know what a "looper" is
-you've went sleddin down nearen row or up the monument
-you know where every street, alley way, and corner is by heart
-you've walked down dead man's alley and you weren't scared
-you say it only takes 5 mins to walk from one end of ctown to the other
-when you were little you always got scared when people would say the knew your parents
-you fiened for mike's roastbeef and made someone drive you down there just to get some
-you know where "three wall" is
-you know the difference between the "neck" and the "oilies"
-you think the bunka is absolutly nasty, but you use to swim there when you were little
-you have a ctown sticker, or a shamrock sticker on the back of your car
-you've gone behind the eddies for some reason
-eden st. use to be the place to be
-you know what half ball is, and you know what stick ball is
-you probably don't wanna live here when you get olda but you'll always call it "home"
-you use to think fr. mahoney was scary
-everyone is related to you
-you know that charlestown is one square mile
-but everything is still a "hike"
-you know the story of the battle of bunker hill by heart
-people are usually scared when you say your from charlestown
-you got a lecture by officer boyle about drugs and alcohal
-a water fountain is a "bubblah" and you know better than to drink out of the bubblahs at the parks
-the baby pool is one of the weirdest things you've eva seen
-your parents or grandparents constantly talk about "old" charlestown
-most of all - your a townie at heart

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