Ansonia, Connecticut, My Hometown



Posted: Sunday, March 13, 2011

by Mark Totilo
Isaac's Tent Ministries

Ansonia, Connecticut is a quaint little town located on the banks of the Naugatuck River, about ten miles from Bridgeport. Originally settled in 1652 as part of Derby, its next door neighbor Ansonia became its own town in 1893.

Like many hamlets across our fruited plains, Ansonia has its own persona. It has its own nuances that make it unique from every other little town in America. However it shares a common thread that has shaped our countries greatness. People. People of faith. Hard working people, who believe that united we stand, divided we fall. That’s the America I grew up in and that’s the Ansonia I want to share with you.

My family moved to the growing suburb in 1964 into a brand new ranch style home on Fern Circle, a cul-de-sac in an area known as the Hilltop. This the highest place in Ansonia, and it takes a bit of an effort to get up the two hills flanking it, Hill Street on the one side and Platt Street on the other. In the 1960’s the area boasted hundreds of sporty little one family homes, surrounded by lush wooded areas.

Going up and down these hills carried a sense of adventure. I often remember, my father shoving his VW Beetle into first gear as we passed Benz Street and headed down Hill Street. The engine screamed, as Highland Avenue raced by, descending into the Naugatuck valley. Just past Berkshire Road, the road would straighten, and exhilaration would turn to fear as the red hexagonal stop sign filled the window faster than it should. In the midst of the descent, you wondered if you were going to be the next one to go through the poor guys house at the bottom of the hill.   

Hill Street reminds me of the life the people of Ansonia and most Americans live. We are people steeped in the tradition of, hard work makes good success. We all have our Hill Streets to ascend and descend. The stop sign may be looming at the bottom of the hill, but we have faith that the breaks are going to work and we’re going to stop in time. Sure there might be that one time they don’t, but there will be something to stop us. There always is. We’ll get right back in that car and go home and go to bed, get up the next morning and go back down the hill.

Let’s rediscover faith in God and in each other. If you make an effort to get to know your next door neighbor, you might find out he’s really not a bad guy. Unity makes us great and that’s the America I grew up in. The news may paint a bleak picture, but go paint your own picture and keep the faith and pray for America. I still love this land, don’t you?
Mark Totilo is a US Navy Veteran, author and speaker.
http://HealWithEssentialOil.com
http://IsaacsTent.com
 
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