Daymaker - a person who performs acts of kindness with the intention of making the world a better place.
~ David Wagner
, author of Life as a Daymaker; how to change the world by making someone's day ~

DayMaker - any thought, word, or deed that spreads happiness, compassion, or fruitful ideas.
~ Annis Cassells ~

Saturday, September 14, 2013

B is for Bakersfield




We natives often refer to our southern California town as “The Bake” or “Bako.” Strangers from all across the country have been known to make snide remarks when we say where we’re from. “I’m sorry.” or “I’ve just wanted to get through there so never stopped.” A woman volunteer at the Visitors’ Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, recalled going through Bakersfield heat once and taking off her nylon stockings in the car while waiting for her husband. 

I’m astounded when I stop to realize that I’ve lived in Bakersfield for 40 years. Forty. Years.  I’d never heard of this place until a job opportunity came along. But I’d heard of California, seen movies and television shows that depicted a carefree beach or Hollywood life. Could Bakersfield be that far away from all this glamour? I dug out my Atlas and saw that Bakersfield was about an inch from the beach, and also an inch away from Los Angeles and from the Mojave Desert. What could be more perfect?


On an August day, after a week-long drive from Michigan for Bakersfield, my family left Las Vegas early, while the temperature was tolerable. At a gas station in the town of Mojave, I stepped out of my air-conditioned four-door sedan into a searing heat that left me gasping.  The temperature had soared to 112°. What was it about desert that I hadn’t understood? 

But Bakersfield became Home. Forty years of living: raising my girls, teaching school, continuing my education, playing hard, and contributing to the community. I made dear friends who mean the world to me and whose friendship has changed the course of my life.
Downtown mural

Sure, I could have accomplished those things anywhere, but where I landed shaped how they were done. Being in Bakersfield allowed opportunities and experiences, put obstacles and smooth paths and people in front of me, fashioned the person I became. That inch-away dot on the map gave me chances to explore and learn and grow.

Bakersfield is a community where people care about each other, giving of their time and resources to help folks in need. Witness the Bakersfield Relay for Life, which for several years now has raised over a million dollars for the American Cancer Society. Watch the spontaneous creation of a fund for donations to help a family that has lost their home to a fire or has incurred extensive medical expenses. Bakersfieldians are good-hearted.

When my mom moved to Bakersfield from Detroit, she marveled, “The people are so friendly. Everybody speaks when you meet them on the street. And there’s no snow!”

River Walk Park Rubber Ducky Run
Things have changed a lot since 1973 when the City Limits sign out on Highway 58 showed the population at 50,000. Today, it reads 350,000. In the southwest, northwest, and northeast regions of town, where open fields once lay, whole neighborhoods, parks, shopping complexes, and business districts have shot up. New roads and highways traverse the city. Returning ex-pats recognize few familiar spots when they come back to town. 
 
Yes, the unbearable summer temperatures are still one of Bakersfield’s claims to fame. In reference to that phenomenon, I lovingly say, “They don’t call it ‘The Bake’ for nothing.” It’s my HomeTown. 
 
~ xoA ~

14 comments:

  1. You are right. Everybody is friendly. It has a small town feel...everybody seems to know and or be connected to everybody else in some way. It is hot...very hot but there is air conditioning, too!

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    1. And can we get an "amen" for air-conditioning! As with anywhere, there are problems, but the good people of Bakersfield make up for many of them. Thanks for taking the time to read and comment, Kate. xoA

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  2. Such a nice tribute to our town. I still don't like the heat, and wish it rained a bit more. But this is home and I'm okay with it.

    I love the way you described the other cites as "an inch" away from the beach, etc. So descriptive and simply put.

    Great post Annis. Thanks for reminding us why we all live here. :)

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    1. Thank you, Joan. It was not 'love at first sight' by any means, but it's now home! xoa

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  3. Annis- You have such a lovely way of describing Bakersfield, as you do with all of your writing. I have to echo Joan's reflection on the geographical reference. I will always remember a fellow student in college at University of the Pacific in Stockton who couldn't understand why it was so far to the ocean; he swore he'd looked it up before he left Hawaii, and the beach looked so much closer on the map...

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    1. Funny how we can be so hopeful and naive about things we want to be true. Thanks for sharing your story and for your kind comments, Davyd. xoA

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  4. I moved to Bakersfield for the real estate with my dad about 12 years ago. I'm proud to say that my girlfriend and I will be buying our first house sometime next year.

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    1. It's interesting what brings different folks to The Bake. Congratulations on your upcoming home purchase, and thanks for writing and sharing. xoA

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  5. I always laugh when people respond with, "I'm sorry," after they here that I used to live in Bakersfield. I think that majority of the time, people passing through the Central Valley stay on the 5 and go around Bakersfield and just assume it's just a barren wasteland instead of traveling along the 99 through the city. It does get hot in Bakersfield though, but it does have its own unique charm.

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    1. Exactly, Jasmine. Someone gave me the "I'm sorry" line just last Wednesday! You're right; they don't even know us since they stay on the I-5. Thanks for stopping by and commenting. xoA

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  6. A native of the "Bake," I remember being flabbergasted when one of my first college roommates described it as the "armpit" of California. Bakersfield is definitely underrated. And hot. That said, life is what you make it...wherever you choose to put down roots. Sounds like you've made yours a good one...in Bakersfield. :-)

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    1. Thanks, Anna. I've heard the "armpit" comment, too. It was not "love at first sight" between us, but Bakersfield has become home. And, I love it. xoA

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  7. I moved to Bakersfield nine years ago. I told myself we'd only be here long enough to transfer - you know, somewhere "nice." But I fell in love with the people. I can't imagine living anywhere else. I'd rather take a hellish summer than live without my Bakersfield. Now that would be hell.

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    1. Yours is not an unusual story of thoughts people have when arriving in Bakersfield. I can't tell you how many folks I know only planned to stay a short while and ended up spending a lifetime. It certainly has its way of charming people's hearts. Glad you're here, and thanks for your comments, Clarissa. xoA

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