Reflecting on NYC vs. Hometown, Pittsburgh

So I went back to Pittsburgh this last weekend for an old friend's wedding. The wedding, between Rhonda Taylor and Patty Taylor (née Whitaker), was not only the wedding of a friend I have known since the third grade, but also the first same-sex ceremony I have attended.

(Rhonda Taylor, left, and Patty Taylor, right. Congrats to the brides!)

While I was not a bridesmaid, I did have the honor of doing a reading, "Union" by Robert Fulghum. (The last lyrics were changed to just say "wife", clearly!) And, after the very touching ceremony, it was on to a delicious and debaucherous reception.

(Rhonda Taylor, whom I've known since 3rd grade, left, and myself, right)

Not one to spend much time in Pittsburgh since I left for college after high school, I have to say that I always find myself a bit nostalgic and enamored with the city when I visit, even if also slightly out of place and not entirely at home. During this particular visit, at Rhonda's wedding, I also ran into old childhood and high school friends I had not seen in well over 10 years, one of whom I was pleased to learn is even living in New York.

And this instant camaraderie with old familiar faces, as well as with many new friends and acquaintances I met during the wedding weekend, is only one of many aspects that endears Pittsburgh to me.

The spectacular foliage, especially in is autumn splendor, the overall cleanliness and quaintness of the city, the laidback, friendly vibe, and of course that sense of history and easy familiarity with the city that I have, all appeal to me. And so Pittsburgh will always have a special place in my heart, clichéd as that sounds.

The irony is that some of what makes Pittsburgh endearing also makes it off-putting to me. Even airline staff at the Pittsburgh International Airport were wearing Steelers jerseys. Such hometown sports pride is endearing, yes, but is not exactly how I roll (sorry, I'm not a hater, just not a sports enthusiast!). And when we landed in NYC, as passengers gathered around the doorway of the plane to collect tagged luggage, thereby blocking the exit of passengers behind them, the girl in front of me aptly remarked to her boyfriend, after loudly announcing, "Excuse me!" to the gathering crowd, "How Midwestern."

And, like this girl, I find that I too straddle the line between Pittsburgh and NYC, between hometown, small-town friendliness and lackadaisical lifestyle and large, metropolitan "center of the universe" New York attitude.