Definition of "METRO MOM"

I am finally blogging again after nearly 6 months of silence to defend my chosen blogging name and to support my dear MCB who, to her merit and somewhat to my surprise, defended dear old Mom about her blog.

To the point:  There is a small debate about why I chose the Blog name of "Diary of  a Metro Mom" in that one of my daughter's friends insisted that I should not have said I was a Metro Mom (MM) because I didn't really live in Metro Atlanta.  My sweet teenage daughter came to my rescue and tried to explain as best she could why our family does, in fact, live in Metro Atlanta.  She smartly pointed out that we live inside the perimeter, namely I-285, as well as the fact that our address actually is in ATLANTA, GA, and not some poser address like "Vinings," or "Duluth," or "Alpharetta," even though those cities might be more desirable areas to some than Atlanta.  Those arguments should have been enough for Miss Teen Girl (TG) who continued in her disbelief that we, being so far removed from THE MOST EXCELLENT PRIVATE SCHOOL IN ATLANTA both in distance and in driving time, a full 13.52 mi. and 25 mins. away, could not possibly live in "Metro Atlanta" but, rather, in the most "GU" area possible (from my older daughters, I quickly found out that this means 'geographically undesirable').  Granted, about 50 years ago, our current abode was just farmland with big black and white dairy cows grazing on it, with one farmhouse (to our right) being the only sign of real civilization.

But today, this is a totally different place.  Only smallish barking white dogs who screechily peel into the street from the nearby cul-de-sac roam the grassy zoysia lawns, or the occasional hungry looking coyotes on the prowl for "we are Saimese-if-you-please" cats, or the fluffly black miniature golden doodle (Mr. Marley) who sneaks down the driveway looking for an injured chipmunk or squirrel to chomp down on characterize the "wild-side" and "country aspect" of this now-developed area.  True, we live only minutes from (and I hate to admit this) Northlake Mall, but it really wasn't what it is today when we first moved here over 20 years ago, and, yes, our public high school doesn't look quite as pretty as TMEPSIA, but it is getting a huge facelift and renovations as we speak, long overdue and definitely deserving.

So let me see if I can put this debate to rest, once and for all, and help Miss TG see the light about metro living. 

From Merriam-Webster Dictionary comes this definition: 

1met·ro·pol·i·tan noun \ˌme-trə-ˈpä-lə-tən\



Definition of METROPOLITAN
1: the primate of an ecclesiastical province


2: one who lives in a metropolis or displays metropolitan manners or customs


Examples of METROPOLITAN





First Known Use of METROPOLITAN


14th century


Related to METROPOLITAN

Synonyms: city slicker, cosmopolite, cosmopolitan, slicker, sophisticate


Antonyms: bumpkin, hick, provincial, rustic, yokel


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Let me explain so we need not argue any more, and lets jump to the No. 2 definition pertaining to "metropolis" and "metropolitan customs or manners."  http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/metropolitan I hereby submit that I do, in fact, live in a metropolis, which is "the chief or capital city or a country, state, or region;" hence, my address is located in Atlanta, GA.http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/metropolis  Next, though some who know me may disagree, I am not a 'bumpkin', 'hick', or 'yokel' and have, in fact, lived in metropolitan cities all my life, from the time of birth, through my adolescent years, into college, and for the duration of my marriage and child-rearing years.  I would like to think of myself as cosmopolitan as I actually belong to an international women's club, I have many friends from all over the world, I love to eat and know how to cook a multitude of international cuisines, and I have traveled throughout the world (though not as extensively as I would like).  I'm not sure about the 'city slicker' reference, but I can be sophisticated when I want to be (I did, afterall, go to school with B. Obama, for what that's worth).  Additionally, I attribute these same qualities to my whole family who, like me, have traveled to many places near and far, have experienced life in a different country on their own, and who probably fit the "city slicker" description much better than I.  True, my dear husband, verges on the edge of "rustic" after buying land and building a "man-shed" up in Asheville, but I can hardly describe that cabin as one belonging to a "hick" with its cypress wood ceiling and walls along with the 19th century antique beds and dressers; it's a far cry from a genuine aluminum trailer.

In addition, the Atlanta Chamber of Commerce website offers this description of Metro Atlanta:  Population for the 28-county metropolitan Atlanta area (Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta) rounds to 5.3 million in 2007, growing 24 percent since 2000, according to the U.S. Census.   http://www.metroatlantachamber.com/files/file/about_atlanta/Atlanta%20Overview_2009.pdf
And there are really only 5 counties which fall within the perimeter of I-285 accoring to the Georgia Department of Public Safety:  Cobb, Gwinnett, Fulton, Dekalb, and Clayton.   http://www.georgia.gov/00/channel_modifieddate/0,2096,5635600_8237836,00.html  Since we live in Dekalb County, I insist that we are a part of this wonderful metropolitan area called Atlanta.

I would love to go on and on spending time researching further reasons of why, indeed, I am a metro mom, but I must start on my Indian dinner of Chicken Tikka Masala, Bhindhi Masala, Chole, and Bangan Bhurta... that will come later as I am now fired up about blogging again.  And oh, by the way, please don't mistake the metro mom reference, as did my older daughter at first, with the urban dictionary definition of MM... that's not what I meant, and I'm sticking to it!