Vernon, CT, 1970

by amalya labell

verbatim from interviews

It was a working class town.

When my mom was growing up, it was a mill town.

People lived there because they worked in the mill.

There were no higher education jobs.

People didn't have an acre of land because they were wealthy enough to buy an acre; 

they had an acre of land because it was the middle of nowhere.

When I was growing up it was changing.

People started moving away to the city

for work.

I told my parents I wanted to go to college.

They were like,

"Well, why?"

My father's attitude when I told him I wanted to go to the city

and wear suits

and have a 40 hour job 

was

"Why are you trying to be something you're not?

Isn't this enough?"

To me he was saying I wasn't good enough.

Like I wasn't worthy of it.