Bill Owens and Patricia Lahrmer Response

As I read the Bill Owens interview and photography piece I felt he was very in touch with today's suburbia and the culture they develop. It is obvious that he could see that even the boring days that suburbia brings there is a very deep level of love, caring, family, and life within. I felt from him that he had a love for the family life that living in suburbia can produce. Owens seemed to have wanted everyone to understand that living in this environment wasn't some boring stigma that was a curse, but rather a sense of pride and feeling. The picture of the mother in the kitchen with the dishes, could have been seen in such a different context without his comment on the bottom. Here he again tries to get people to understand the family values and caring expressed in these communities. She wasn't at all concerned with the dishes but rather people dieing in another country. I think that toward the end of her article Patricia Lahrmer comes to terms with how deep that same feeling is, a feeling you get from living in a small suburban community. Unlike Owens she didn't at first see how living there created a feeling of comfort, security, and ownership. It took her some time and personal growth to break free from the stigma. However I think by the end of her article and after quite some time in the suburban neighborhood she saw the value in being a part of that type of life. While at first glance everything seems so boring, it is so much deeper than that. I think she began to feel pride because of the family values that surrounded her. Just as Owens shows in his photographs at times living in those neighborhoods it is like one big family all looking out for each other. Just like she felt a connection to that dog, because she learned to care deeply for the surroundings she once condemned.

I enjoyed both the article and learning about Bill Owens and his photographs. Although I do not feel that some suburban neighborhoods are diverse enough there is a sense of security to them. Though in this day and age you are not free from crime or worry suburbia is a wonderful place to raise children and instill family values, as shown in both pieces.