Everyday Life in Middletown
Directive: January-February 2019
Muncie
Directions: This directive asks you to share your thoughts and feelings about Muncie, the town most of you live in and the town at the center of the Everyday Life in Middletown project.
Feel free to use your creativity in expressing your thoughts and feelings about Muncie. You can write this out as an essay or a set of disjointed observations, or any other way you like. You do not need to answer the questions below in order (though you may do so if you wish). But do try to address all of the questions, in one way or another, in your response.
The main question we want you to address is: What do you think and feel about Muncie?
Write as little or as much as you like. A good guideline for length would be the average length of your day diaries for us.
As with your diaries, your directive entries will be published anonymously in our on-line archive. While we will not publish your name or any personal information, it is up to you to decide how much or how little about yourself you want to reveal in your writing and to filter out personal information accordingly. As with the diaries, we will review your directives for personal information and contact you if we have questions or concerns.
Optional: Take a photograph that you think typifies Muncie in some way, and send it along with your directive response.
Please return your answer to us by Feb. 12.
Questions to address in your answer:
1. How long have you lived here? If you were not born here, indicate where you came from and why.
Nine years – I came to Muncie to pursue an education and stayed because I was offered a good job opportunity. I’ve travelled and lived many places. Muncie is the second longest location I’ve lived in for any one period of time.
2. Are you happy with where you live? Do you feel like you belong?
I am very happy with where I live. I feel like a belong more so than I did if you’d asked me that question a year ago. It’s difficult sometimes as Muncie’s community – especially at the Ball State or Ivy Tech can be very transient.
3. Do you expect to stay here for long? What are or will be some of the considerations in deciding how long you stay here?
I’d like to stay in Muncie for at least another five years. However, this is dependent on my career. As long as I continue to have my career at Ball State and continue to have growing career opportunities, I’m more than content to make my home in Muncie.
4. How would you describe Muncie to someone who has never been here? What are its most distinctive characteristics?
Muncie is a big, small town. It’s a university town. I wouldn’t be here if not for Ball State.
5. Do you think the ways other people think about Muncie are the same ways you think about it? How do you your thoughts and feelings about Muncie differ from its public image (from media or word-of-mouth around the state and beyond)?
No. When I first moved to Muncie, I got this vibe that people were disappointed with this space. Muncie gets a bad rap, but, to me, it’s a hidden gem – nestled away – not easily accessible from i69. I really like Muncie. I always have. If I weren’t working for the university, I may feel differently, but I love it here.
6. What are your feelings about Muncie’s future? What are your hopes for Muncie? How do you expect Muncie will fare in the years ahead? What changes do you expect?
If climate change continues, Muncie will be the perfect place to be – few tornadoes, no hurricanes, no earthquakes. This is the place to be as far as I’m concerned. I hope Muncie continues to see creative growth – ways to innovate and connect to our larger world. Muncie will change, grow, expand, depreciate only to the extent of people’s expectations and ability to invest in the area. A particular geographical location only has as much potential as the people, the community living there have room to dream – have hope to cultivate lasting, meaningful growth.