“The worst air in the US? It’s not in L.A.”*
http://features.csmonitor.com/environment/2009/04/30/the-worst-air-in-the-us-its-not-in-la/
Being number one has it’s downsides.
I grew up in Bakersfield. It was commonplace to see people (and children growing up with me) being diagnosed with asthma, lung disease and other respiratory problems. A neighbor of mine not 5 houses down the street died from Valley Fever, a serious disease contracted from dust in the air. If you ever hear the words Valley Fever, it's almost always a death sentence.
Since I was very young, I remember waking up every morning and coughing like I had a cold as well as having stomach aches until a few hours after I had woke up. I always took hot showers so that the steam would clear out my throat from dust and smog tar. Probably why I’ve never been much of a morning person. Who WOULD be with mornings like that. I never thought anything of it though. I still have to take hot showers just out of habit. Probably why my scalp is so dry and full of dandruff.
I also used to hear about smog from time to time and thought: If we could just build a really big fan, we could blow away all the smog!
In my high school days, I had trouble running in P.E. I had chest pains so I went to see the doctor. I was diagnosed with "exercise-induced asthma" and was put on an inhaler for about a year before I could exercise normally again. One of my sisters has had asthma since she was round 4 years old. From elementary school to about junior high, he had to use a nebulizer every single day to help her breathe correctly.
Allergy season should not be every season. When Clariton and Flonase don’t do anything for you anymore, there’s a problem.
Two years ago, I moved to Fresno (#7) from Bako (#1) for school and love. There is a major difference: I can breathe here! I can wake up in the morning without coughing up a lung. I walk outside and the air smells clean and crisp. On the freeway, I look out and can see the Yosemite mountains miles away. Yes, I know the air is very bad here, but it's very clean compared to my hometown.
However, it does get very beautiful after a heavy rainfall. When the air is clear and you can see mountains all around, there is a comforting feeling. Then that feeling goes away and you realize those mountains are suffocating you.
I go back to Bakersfield to visit 1 to 3 times a month. I love my hometown very much. All of my friends and family are from Bako. But just staying for one night clogs my throat horribly.
*Ya like how they put periods in for Los Angeles but not for the United States? lol
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