In 1998, I was 20 years old, engaged to be married and a struggling new mom. I was working a job and a half to make ends meet and going to school part time in hopes to secure some kind of financial future for my family. I was still living in the projects of Stamford where I was born and raised, but I desperately wanted a safer place for my daughter to grow up. I was determined for her to not to experience the traumas that I did and become a statistic like I was. No matter how much I wanted to stay in Stamford, it was impossible. There was nothing affordable to purchase, so we had to look elsewhere.
In an online search, Bridgeport kept showing up. I had family in Bridgeport but I never really heard good things about it. It didn’t seem like the right place to be looking for a home, especially if safety was my goal. I decided to take a look anyway. I wanted to see the possibilities and I was curious about what others were saying. I’ve never been a follower especially when it comes to opinions, I need to see things for myself to form a proper opinion. I’m not a realtor but I knew what I wanted and I had an idea of what we could afford. I would look up MLS numbers online and ask my realtor to schedule viewings. I had no idea what process this would all be for my already overwhelmed young mind. A little more than seven months later, we found a home on the north end of Bridgeport. It was what they called a factory home built for factory workers back in the 1940’s. It was small, it was quaint, it was ours.
Just one year in, I was pregnant with our son. We got married in an intimate ceremony in the back yard. My children learned to walk, talk, play and more in that home. I was very sheltered, focused on just raising our little family. We eventually sold this home and moved to a bigger home in neighboring Stratford. Although we moved to Stratford, I kept returning to Bridgeport which is where I felt most rooted. My husband and I eventually divorced and sold the house in Stratford. I returned to Bridgeport where I decided to rebuild my life.
I was introduced to the poetry and arts community right around 2007 which is when I really started to take root. I had never experienced anything like it in my life. This city was overflowing with culture, poets, artists, talent, love. I was embraced like I was from Bridgeport. I was introduced to even more people, more community,. more inspiration. I felt encouraged, seen , nourished like I had never experienced and I knew that Bridgeport is where I was meant to be. It was in Bridgeport, my passion for art was reawakened. It was in Bridgeport that my children learned more about themselves, their culture and developed thick skin. It was in Bridgeport that I began to come undone and open myself up to healing old wounds so that I could do better for myself, my children, myself, my family, my community.
I am now an active member of the community of Bridgeport. I am an established artist connected to many local organizations and creative communities. I am so excited about the possibilities for Bridgeport and proud to be a part of it’s growth. If you haven’t visited us yet, I strongly encourage you to do so. If you’re already here in Bridgeport, thank you for making it such a beautiful place to be and live.