Residents were asked, “Please tell us about an important moment in your life that would help someone understand what it’s like living in your neighborhood.” Explore 50 responses below, selected at random. Which stories capture your attention? (Some responses were transcribed by youth volunteers.) To learn more about the storyteller and how they interpreted their response, click “Zoom In.”
Agriculture
Fields
The Child Who Looked Different
When growing up I was mixed with African American and Chinese . I would get picked on very often especially when my Chinese mother would drop me off to school. Many kids would question me if I were to claim to be African American like my father. All the kids I grew up with would pick on me and my facial features that favored my mother. Which also made me a very guard child because I didn’t like when people would question my ethnicity even to this day.
Love (Story #335)
When I returned from War I had a hard time adjusting. My father told our neighbor about how hard it was for me so he took among himself to give me a job which help me start my life over, he also gave other men in the town jobs as well. I still thank him til this day because if it wasn’t for the love he had I would have lost my mind and I never would have married his daughter and took over the family business.
Change (Story #547)
Growing up i was always in trouble and a wise man came and he spoke to me. He said son everyone around you are not on the same journey as you and are not Capable of caring the power to change themselves like you do and I’ll never forget how fast i went home and told my “gang” i couldn’t go with the plans we had for That night.
After the Storm
After Hurricane Jeanne and Frances, all the neighbors were checking on each other, sharing resources and in general reaching out to support each other, even though on a day to day basis, there may not be much interaction.
Do better
My neighborhood hood was terrible and we loved quick when we realized someone died every week. We didn’t like it and wasn’t what we were used to i was scared to sleep there.
Moslead
Well growing up in my neighborhood i had a sister and brother and my mother didn’t take care of me. Her mother did but there was a lot of that going on back then where mothers didn’t raise there children and i feel like that’s a major issues that’s why we have so many mislead children in the current generation
The crash- Rickia
At the age of 13 I was in a fatal car accident that caused me to be in a wheel chair. My community came together to support my mom because my Father died in the crash. I’m still alive here today and although it has changed my life, the love remain the same
Success and growth
Ver good community with community with a lot of potential
My child
Important moment in my life was having my first child . He changed my life in a way. With out him I would of been in the streets of boynton running wild
Canidate Supreme Court
The Supreme Court being a candidate
For no reason
I used to be a police back in my day. Things certainly have changed. I was walking outside of my house and seen police interrogating these young men. I did not like what I saw. There were not respectful and actually had no reason to be doing it.
College
Important moment in my life was going to college.My grandpa used to always tell me the world is bigger than boynton. There’s nothing really around the city but drugs and violence so that changed me.
Robbery
I remember one night I heard a lot of movement outside but I shook it off. Ten o heard screaming so I went outside and saw my neighbors got robbed. It frighten me because it could’ve been my house.
The right thing
When I was 16 I saw someone get killed. After that I knew the neighborhood wasn’t safe. I told myself that when I get older I’m going to do the right thing.
LOVE (Story #632)
GROWING UP WAS EVERYTHING I HAD THE NICEST HELPFUL PARENTS THEY GAVE AND HELP ME
Hardship
Growing up in the projects poor , there wasn’t much in my community .
1st place
It’s hard to just think about one moment. Everyday life will show you what it’s like. The good and the bad. Boynton is a community, a team, a family. We work hard together to win together.
Safety
The infrastructure
The Betsey Ida story
In the past half a century the world has transformed, with the advent of the internet, medical advances and leaps forward in social equality.But much subtler changes which only those who lived in past decades can understand have also permeated society.
My community (Story #347)
An important moment in my life is when discussions leads into other things such as fighting and killing.Many people don’t get over the fact that you had an argument and can end with a simple apology but it leads to other dangerous things.
Stand up
Well an important life in my neighborhood was when I first seen someone stand up to what was right and I followed right behind him. He wanted to stop being mistreated and stop being accused he was tired and we all are
My community (Story #365)
An important moment in my life is when someone who you loved the most turns out to be dead or injured.You don’t know how to feel you feel like nobody and this world can’t fix this.My community people would just come to me and say “sorry for your lost” but they know how people can change when someone was injured in their life too
A helping hand
I moved here from Haiti with my grandmother. I was kicked out at 16. Luckily I had friend to help me with money and a job.
The neighborhood of renters
I wouldn’t want people to live in my neighborhood because you have many renters in the neighborhood who don’t take care of their things. When i was driving home from work i realized that there was somebody breaking into a car as if it was their own. The neighborhood is a mess i wouldn’t allow the worst child to stay there kids fighting kids left and right , parents arguing, people dying i wouldn’t wish for my biggest enemy to stay here.
Ms.T my Second Mother
When my mother kicked me out of the house I spent nights sleeping in a park while trying to finish high school. I had no bed, no shower,and no food.I went back to my old neighborhood and knocked on the door of Ms.T she was a well known lady kind of like the mother of my neighborhood.All I wanted was something to eat. But Ms.T didn’t just give me a meal. She took me into her home, where he had warm food and a roof over his head she treated me like her very own son. She also brought…
Angels Surrounding me
They were arguing about a girl. He left and I was standing there talking to one of the guys. Someone came from behind and hit my with a baseball bat. I had seizures and was foaming from the mouth. I was in a coma for 9months and 2 weeks. Then I woke up and stayed in the hospital for another month in Jackson Memorial. I couldn’t play high school football after that.
Spooky
Dangerous
Giving Back
Belle is a small community where family orientation is key to helping others and contributing to providing support everyone. We are constantly asking individuals who has left the the city to come back to the city and contribute.
Give god the glory-billy penn
Living in this neighborhood is not about the drugs and the alcohol I was born in 1947 in Delray Beach hoping kids don’t follow in my foot steps if I got a problem I don’t do drugs but around people that do good and bad in my childhood never went to school
Getting My House Back
I have lived in my house for 35 years. When my husband passed away about 20 years ago,my income was to low and I lost the house. I eventually ran into money problems and stop paying the mortgage. The lender foreclosed the property, and the house was sold, leaving Me without a home.My neighbor/friend from a few doors down, Shelley, couldn’t stand the thought of me living in a hotel room, so she and a few other members from my neighborhood put down $167,450 to buy the house back for me.
Strong Household
Ms. Mann Was raised with both parents in her life. Has 3 sibling out of the 3 she is the oldest. Growing up with experiences from the Glades area and the East of palm beach county. Through her family unit it has helped develop her into the successful women she is today.
Living in the Glades
Graduating from high school and keeping contact with everyone.
Life in Pahokee
The most important moment in my life were having my children. The hospital is now closed and it has really effected our community. We now have to drive to Belle Glade for healthcare. I came here in November 1970, married here in 1974. The roads on the way to my house have been needing fixing for years and nothing has been done. All the other roads have been fixed but they don’t care about ours in East Lake Village. I like Pahokee, its a nice quiet neighborhood. It’s not all that hustling and bustling like a big city.
Y community
Thirty-five percent of participants stopped important activities after their events, with personal illnesses having this effect most frequently. In addition to these negative consequences, participants reported positive consequences of their stressful events for their lives.
Helpful neighbors- Kene
About a month after moving into my house, it flooded. So at one point we lost our kitchen so our neighbors were nice and fortunate enough to bring us meals.
Dangerous community- Kene
It was 3-4 years ago, when I first moved here back to Delray. We’ve just recently purchased, and moved into the home, when a deadly shooting happened down the street. I remember prepping the kids for church, while my husband was outside waiting when we heard gun shots go off, following police sirens a few seconds after. I wouldn’t say I’m comfortable living in an area like this, and I dislike it, but sometimes life just tosses you around, and you gotta go with the flow.
Lack of support
Family fueds
Youth Growing up in The Heart of Boynton
Growing up in the heart of Boynton Beach and a young man was challenging for me. I grew up in a home with no positive male figures and no positive role models. I was raised by a single parent and it was no easy task. My mother did the best she could with the limited resources she had.
The city
Growing up in boynton there’s a lot of important moments. Things are not as good as they used to be around here.when I was younger I was shot 5 times on different occasions.
Respect
Growing up i had moved down from Haiti and the part i lived in there was a lot of white people so not only was i kind of racial profiled i was also picked on and make fun of because of my accent so that pretty much sums up what it was like. I was in trouble a lot because i was the type to always want to defend my self. I had a couple friends that’s guided me through but i still wanted my respect.
Give support when needed
I remember a school shooting happened. It didn’t happened my neighborhood. But the local high school in Boynton was supporting them. The had a moment of silence and was supporting the families.
Growing up in boynton-Devonte white
I dont really have a important moment in life but i can tell you how it is growing up in my neighborhood. Things was pretty calm back in the days everyone was civilized.Now you got all these young people around here killing each other
Born and raised in Delray Beach- Kene
Giving birth to my children. I was born and raised in Delray so it was nice to have all my family and friends present. And something I’m looking forward to oneday, is purchasing my own house in Delray for my family.
Fun days
I grew up in Spartanburg South Carolina it was nothing like it was today. When i was younger around 16 we was aloud to go out and have a good time. When i was 18 me and my cousin went to the pool and we met two guys and they asked if we wanted to go out and we agreed but there was two similar cars and they got out to go get something but i grew impatient. I was in the wrong car blowing the horn and they come out the house and caught me in the car understanding…
Work for it
Buying my first house was a important moment in my life. Everything I got I had to work for it.nobody won’t give you anything around here.
The Take
Took over my grandmothers house
The Early Life
I grew up in Plains, GA. I grew up with Jimmy Carter. Plains was a little town and everybody knew everybody. Black and white did not make a difference. My brothers and Jimmy used to play together. We all worked in the fields together.
Don’t be the one
Well coming up in the city of lake worth. I wasn’t Always a girl who had friends No one liked me because of my skin or where I came from they used to pick on me. , call me names , billy me because what I wear and what I language I speak
It’s not what it seems.
Others assume that it is bad, but its not what it seems. It’s rich in tradition, there is a lot of love. Don’t let the violence, create a image for you. Come here and see the love.
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