Born and Raised Zonie!

I am from Phoenix, Arizona. Those in California refer to us as Zonies! This is one Zonie that kind of likes the nickname. Others may not. Phoenix is an interesting place to grow up. It doesn’t have the glitz and glamour of L.A. But it seems to try hard to pattern itself after L.A. I can’t even begin to tell you how many times as a young child I heard my grandmother tell me Phoenix was going to be the next L.A. There’s some similarities at this present moment. It’s rather crowded, over polluted, and on it’s way to being too expensive for some.


As an adult my biggest complaint about Phoenix is the fact that it lacks a true identity. There are so many people that have moved there in recent years that it’s kind of difficult to find someone from Phoenix living in Phoenix. With all the new population growth the city has little culture that it’s clinging to. It’s like a newly discovered city that people are making into whatever they want it to be. People don't adapt to Phoenix. Phoenix is being made to adapt to others. Don’t even get me started on all the cement in the city either! Geesh! Stop pouring cement and plant a tree for goodness sake! Oh that’s right, they can’t plant many trees…it’s too hot. Desert plants only!


Safe to say Phoenix is a sports town. Take your pick on what sport you prefer. Choices are: hockey, baseball, basketball, and football. Something for everyone. I grew up going to Arizona State games. Go Devils! I have numerous memories of ASU football games. I even had Sparky the Sun Devil earrings for game nights. I probably shouldn’t admit that but oh well! The city has only had the opportunity to celebrate one championship. The Arizona Diamondbacks won the World Series in 2001. Exciting moment! I remember a lot of horn honking all through the night. Apparently in Phoenix driving around and honking your horn is the way you celebrate a championship. I’m sure there’s other ways to celebrate but like I said the city has only had one championship so celebrating is not the city's forte. The surprise Arizona team of this decade would have to be the Cardinals. Numerous losing seasons and then finally a break thru year that carried them all the way to the Super Bowl this past February. Awesome! I’m sure back in Phoenix there is much chatter and excitement concerning this season for the Cards. But lets face it, the city belongs to the Suns. They generate the most buzz! I remember certain great play-off runs that made malls look like ghost towns. No one cared to be at the mall on a Saturday afternoon everyone was home watching the Suns. However, the city is still waiting on the Suns to deliver a championship. Keep waiting Zonies! Keep waiting!

A story to end with, I have a cousin that has been a diehard Dallas Cowboys fan since he was very young. Don’t know how he became such a fan since just like me, he’s a born and raised Zonie. None the less, his fave team is the Cowboys. There is a decent amount of Cowboys fans living in Phoenix so my cousin is not alone. Over the years the home team Cards have been bumped from TV to show the Cowboys. Well, last season was a different story. The Cowboys games were suddenly not the top choice for the TV stations due to the Cards showing signs of a promising season. The lack of Cowboys games on AZ channels didn’t set well with my Cowboys loving cousin. When the holidays rolled around he would continuously make rude remarks about the Cards. That didn’t set well with me! We met with his family for Thanksgiving, then for Christmas, and then for New Year’s. Well by the time New Year’s came around I was done listening to his remarks. We had the hugest blowup argument that I have probably ever had with a family member. Oddly enough a mere 5 months later I started calling Dallas home. Bizarre!