Oh lord. I still think about the many…many…many…many times my family tried to move away from Jackson, MI. We tried just moving to Springport. Ended. We tried moving to Eaton Rapids. Owned a house already. What? My mother’s name was still on the deed of the house we’d grown up in. My uncle NEVER took her name off which meant the taxes were on her head, not his. We moved back. The next try was moving to Georgia. That ended because none of us liked the property (and the bugs…oh god the knats on that farm). So why try so hard to be stuck?
As of early this year “the house” was sold. We all saw it as a way to move forward. Nothing to go back to if it wasn’t in the family. Freedom. So why?
Jackson SUCKS…in my opinion. Oh god I hate this town. Between the constant shootings and shitty fair, and nothing to really do…yeah this town SUCKS. It wasn’t always this way. In 2008, the town was amazing, the roads were decent (not perfect), crime was not big, and you could walk anywhere without the fear of a bullet randomly coming at you. What happened then?
The track closed. Factories closed. Stores are closed and closing. Unemployment rates are low because there is an amount of cut off. This town went from bringing people from California and England to no one wants to be here. We can’t even get decent acts for fair any more. What track? The Jackson Harness Raceway. A beautiful event.
Oh and before anyone screams “ANIMAL ABUSE!! ANIMAL ABUSE!!” Fuck off. Please. Kindly. Thank you. I’ve worked for a harness racing team since it closed and lord the amount of love, dedication, trust, and time it takes just to make it to a race. Owe. More work than owning a damn car. The track employed around 100 or so people during the busy season from April to June. Live races. People could come watch, bet, have fun. I grew up with that in my backyard. No literally I just had to walk out my door and down the alleyway/driveway thing and boom the track. It was a great environment to work. The managers were awesome and understanding, the owners would laugh and help during the busy Saturday night rush. It was a great place. Pay was REALLY nice to. I loved just watching the horses run around, hear the crowds cheering their favorites on, the smell of steamed hot dogs and burgers in the air. It was a second home since my mom had began to work there.
If it was such a good place then why did it close? Several reasons but the biggest was slots. Literally the company that owned it just wanted 2 slot machines in the adult only area. 2. Not a room full. Just 2. Jackson said NO. Well they announced in November that on December 31, they were done racing, done simulcasting, just done.
I’m not saying bringing it back will fix anything. Lord knows it might be too late. It’s a town of doctors and fast food. 2 malls mostly closed stores. And now the track is being demolished.
I’ve decided that once I leave Michigan, I’m not coming back other than for holidays. I do not want to be trapped here. Period. It seems like that is what happens. Dreams never happen in a town known for nothing.
Farewell Jackson Harness Raceway.
Farewell a legacy.
Farewell.
teambeautifulshadow 