"...those people are MEAN!!!"

A Rebel recently made a remark about someone telling them NOT to go to LA or NYC because, "Those people are mean!"

Well...I lived in both for awhile (and return to both routinely)...and I can honestly say this: until I moved here, no one had ever been openly rude to me without motivation, or "flipped me the bird" for no apparent reason, or dumped their trash wherever they please, or openly blown cigarette smoke in my face without concern...and this happens regularly here or in "The ATL".

People are people. In this business, people are most often "intense". They are motivated, on deadlines, looking out for "the product", and looking out for themselves. Both cities are competitive (so is Atlanta) and billions of dollars are on-the-line every day. Stress is high, weirdness is king, and professionalism is expected.

Honestly, I am a nice person, but when I'm working...it isn't about being nice. What I do is both an art and work. I have expectations to meet, deadlines to make, concepts to design, and clients to satisfy. You can't confuse professional with "not nice". Also, the lifestyles are VERY different. If you go to a new place, you have to immerse yourself in the lifestyle and understand it. If you don't, you'll constantly fight it and consider people "Not nice".

I love Athens, and I love New York...two completely different places. I love working in LA, but I don't like living in LA. People are people. Be open to it. Don't reject what you haven't experienced in terms of where you live and who you meet. Hoboken and Weehauken...I'd head back to either in a heartbeat! And that's Jersey!

Long Live The Rebellion