This post is more personal than professional and hits very close to home for me. As a life-long “Long Islander,” I have watched the community change before my eyes these past few years.
The “Great Recession” has hit Long Island extremely hard. Unemployment, empty storefronts and foreclosures are now part of our daily existence with no turnaround in sight. “For Rent” and “For Sale” signs litter the suburban landscape.
Next month, our local troubles will be getting additional exposure in the form of an HBO documentary.
Hard Times: Lost on Long Island
On July 9th, 2012 (9:00 P.M.) HBO will be airing a documentary entitled, “Hard Times: Lost on Long Island .”
The documentary will detail the lives of four Long Island families facing unemployment, foreclosure and financial hardship. Unfortunately, this is a story we are all too familiar with.
The film, produced by Daphne Pinkerson of Blowback Productions and directed by Marc Levin, aims to showcase the evaporating American middle class by profiling hard working, highly educated Long Islanders. The documentary attempts to repudiate the notion that jobs are available and unemployed people are either financially irresponsible or worse, lazy.
As a bankruptcy lawyer , I deal with these same hard working, educated individuals everyday and I can vouch for the emotional trauma caused by financial hardship. I can also attest to the shifting demographic of the bankruptcy filer as profiled in the film.
Long Island: A Birthplace
This hits close to home because Long Island was my birthplace. I was raised here and have lived here my entire life. I have strong ties to the Island and I truly believe this is a wonderful place to live, work and raise a family.
An argument can be made that Long Island was one of the staging grounds for the birth of our nation.
The producers of “Hard Times: Lost on Long Island” also point out that Long Island was the “…birthplace of the post-war suburban American dream…” Obviously, the recent recession has turned this dream into a nightmare for some.
I truly do not want to see the majestic birthplace that is Long Island turn into a dying wasteland.
Recovery
As a native Long Islander, as a husband and a father, I maintain hope and optimism that our local economy will return to greatness. I envision the transformation of the “For Sale” and “For Rent” signs into small businesses and newly purchased homes. I foresee a boom in high paying employment and young families returning to the Island to realize their American dream.
We have amazing tight-knit communities made up of wonderfully diverse people. We have beautiful beaches, parks, vineyards, farms, museums, etc. We have the greatest city in the world a train or car ride away.
So, I will be tuning in on July 9th and I will watch a documentary that details the troubles and hardships that I see on a daily basis in my practice.
I will also be viewing with the positive expectation and brightness that this is the darkness before the dawn and a rebirth for Long Island is on the horizon.
Image courtesy of Podknox.
I watched the documentary last night and i was so devastated by all of it. Being a born and raised LI girl i lived here through my childhood, went off to college out of state , lived in NYC for many years and moved back out here in 2008 just as the collapse hit and i gave birth to my second child. I unfortuntely have expierenced very similiar and painful times that the people in the film are going through. My husband was out of work for 1 year, i had left my full time job to be with my babies and then collapse of economy hit us terrible. We sold our home and been on food stamps, my husband took a temp job literally cleaning toilets and i have gone back to work part time since I still have little ones at home and would need childcare. We had to get rid of everything including selling my engagement ring and it has taken a toll physically, emotionally and spiritually. We have gotten into bad habits, drug use, wieght gain, depression etc and have moved 2x in the past 4 years with two children. The thing that for me is the HARDEST of all is living in Long Island in an affluet area (there are MANY in LI) some people yes, are hurting BUT allot dont even know their is a problem. I surrounded by fancy cars, fancy camps, fancy homes and lifestyles. It is so depressing to feel you are dying inside and cant even make your car payment and you pull up in a woodbury shopping center filled with the fanciest cars, you go to the nursery school and everyone talking of their winter vacations, disney trips and what pricey camp your kids are going to. It is so painful and makes you feel like why me? You go on facebook to see friends and people bragging off their pictures from shows, concerts, dinners etc. Ofcourse you dont know what is really going on in peoples lives BUT i know they are doing and going and I am home sleepless with stress and anxiety…life feels so unfair.
Melissa,
Thank you for your thoughtful but troubling comment. You are not alone and yours is a story I hear on a regular basis. As you say, Long Island is an extremely affluent area compared with the rest of the country and that makes life here that much harder during this economic crisis. It is true that some people are oblivious to the economic hardship surrounding them, but I argue that you should be oblivious to them as well.
Embrace your family and all the good in your life and do not let the supposed “success” of others get you down. I still have positive expectations that a new dawn is coming for our Island and hopefully for you.
Frank