Plenty of roads lead to and from Macon, but many people have found reasons to stay and put down roots.
“I’m safe, you know, I’m at peace. I’m whole. I wanted a better place to raise my children, and I got that in Macon,” said Takesha Shepard, who moved to the city a decade ago from the Bronx, N.Y.
“People from Macon don’t understand what they have. … You go up there and see the real big city, then you will change your outlook and appreciate Macon. See, I appreciate it.”
Shepard, a chef at an Alzheimer’s care facility, said she’s glad her community sticks together. S
he was one of nearly 600 people who discussed their views of the city for the “Macon in the Mirror” project, which examined everything from what frustrates residents about living in Macon to what they like about the city and why they choose to remain in Macon.
Plenty of residents shared the feeling of solidarity that Shepard noted.
“I love everything about Macon. It’s a homey place,” said Vanessa Riggins, a south Bibb County resident who’s lived around Macon most of her life. “Friendly people, everyone speaks to you. … It’s not too big and not too small. It’s a great place to live.”
Riggins, who said she’s best at being a mom, is raising three boys and two girls in Macon.
Kayla Mattingly, a 20-year-old college student and cashier at an Old Navy store, said Macon’s size is great but easily misconstrued. She’s lived in Macon most of her life, and she revels in her recollections and historical memories of downtown, where she can find almost anything to do.
Macon offers her plenty of places to hang out, she said.
“I like how comfortable it is and how it’s not technically a huge city, but it’s not really country,” Mattingly said. “It’s kind of the best of both worlds.”
Mattingly suggested that Macon may just have an inferiority complex.
“Anywhere else in any other state they seem to have the misconception that we’re country hillbillies, when really a lot of people I know are civilized humans. They’re not hillbillies,” she said. “I want people to know that we do have a nice little Southern community. I just wish we were more together about it.”
As a deputy sheriff, Jimmy Culver has opportunities to see some of the worst that Macon has to offer. That has not soured him on the city, though.
“I kind of fell in love with Macon,” said Culver, 34. “It’s a real diverse city. It’s not too big. It’s not too small.”
Though Culver may meet some of Macon’s less friendly people, he’s positive about the residents, too.
“I like its people. Macon is so diverse. You’ve got all kinds of nationalities, races and cultures around here in Macon,” he said.
Pilar Wilder, a 16-year resident of the area, said that as a black woman, she doesn’t see herself as running a black business, just a business.
“I’m grateful to the greater community for accepting me, supporting me in a way that the smaller community you’re expecting to be a part of couldn’t have done by themselves, so that’s a big deal to me,” said Wilder, who runs Hayiya Dance Theatre.
Wilder said there’re a wealth of ways to find out what’s going on in Macon, “where people are constantly inundated with activities, and many of them are very wholesome, quality and very artistic and just fantastic events, (and yet) you’re constantly hearing, ‘
There’s nothing to do here,’ or ‘This city sucks.’ I’m like, ‘Really?’” Wilder said.
About The “Macon in the Mirror” Project
The stories and people featured in “Macon in the Mirror” were compiled from interviews done by staff at The Telegraph and Georgia Public Broadcasting as well as students, staff and neighborhood liaisons with Mercer University’s Center for Collaborative Journalism. We interviewed residents from all walks of life and parts of Macon and Bibb County over the last six months. We wanted to find out people’s opinions — good and bad — about the place they call home. We asked everyone the same 10 questions about frustrations and worries as well as what people like about living here. We also asked about misconceptions people have about Macon and even the neighborhood they live in. In all, nearly 600 people shared their thoughts about Macon. The findings — presented in five days of stories, pictures, audios and videos.
