The New Rambler: Hello Boston, my old friend

“Preserve your memories. They’re all that’s left you.” — Simon and Garfunkel, “Bookends”

I was in the middle of reading Michel Houellebecq’s nihilistic classic, “Whatever,” when my editor asked me to care about something: the Boston mayoral election. I almost said no — not because Houellebecq’s worldview was influencing me, but rather because I am not from Boston.

I’m from New Jersey, and I spent a good portion of my childhood in New York. As you can imagine, my family was worried when they heard I was going to be surrounded by Patriots and Red Sox fans. To make matters worse, during my first year at Boston University, I was living just down the block from Fenway Park.

But then I thought about the article proposal. The Daily Free Press staff probably sent these proposals to everyone. The ones who accepted and who are now writing articles probably did so because they are Bostonians or have a vested interest in who gets elected.

No matter how much I refuse to call myself a Bostonian in any form, I have to admit that I do have a vested interest in Boston’s future. Boston is home to some of my favorite book and record stores. Boston may also become my home if some newspaper or magazine wants to hire me. (Please? Anyone?)

So I decided to put Houellebecq on hold, throw on some Simon and Garfunkel records, and do some research on the candidates.

The two candidates are incumbent Mayor Martin Walsh and City Councilor Tito Jackson.

The first thing that struck me was that Marty Walsh reminds me of every suburban dad I have ever met. The first picture I saw of him he was even wearing a Calloway jacket.

Walsh’s proposed solution to the economic problem involves bringing in more companies. He says that companies like Amazon will bring in 50,000 middle-class jobs.” The phrase “middle class” always throws up a red flag for me.

So I did some research on Amazon in particular. Amazon pays its warehouse employees and other similar positions a little under $13 an hour. Now working full time (40 hours a week) makes your yearly income around $27,040. A middle class income ranges from $35,000 and $100,000 a year. Inviting Amazon would create low-income jobs.

Now that we’ve talked about jobs, what about rent? As of 2014, the average rent in Boston is $2,458 a month or $29,496 a year. This means that your full-time job at the corporation Walsh wants to bring in is not going to be enough to pay your rent.

I did some research on Jackson’s positions. Jackson’s policies are one-ups of Walsh’s policies. More funding for public schools, some form of action to deal with the rising housing prices and fixing the wealth and race gaps in Boston are some of Jackson’s policies.

I could talk more about the two candidates politics and statements, but that isn’t the point of this article.

The point of this article is not for me to tell you which candidate to vote for. If I had a choice, I’d probably be in France by now.

Jokes aside, if you are reading this, you have a vested interest in how the election turns out. The point of this article is to remind you of the web of decisions that make up your life.

Every political decision made in America affects everyone. Some of these decisions affect us directly. If you are a student, recent graduate, teacher or worker in Boston, how the election turns out directly affects your future.

I realized while doing research for this article that I actually care a lot about the future of Boston beyond just my favorite bookstores. I care about Boston because it’s where I have grown the most as a writer, as a student and as a human being. Boston made me who I am and I want it to change as many people as it can in the future.

I want Boston to be great because I want to preserve my memories and allow others to create new ones.

While I am not an advice columnist, here is some advice about voting. Do your research, but take every campaign promise with a grain of salt. The sluggish and stubborn nature of democracy is forgotten during campaigns. People like hearing about direct, quick and easy action, not long legislative debates. When you vote, think about the future and not the present. Quick and easy solutions never last.

Your political views will change, but your principles stay basically the same. If you believe that we need a society that cares less about personal wealth and more about the arts and a healthy life, then vote for the candidate that shares this belief with you.

Vote for the candidate that doesn’t harp on your fears and insecurities. Vote for the candidate that tells you the hard truths and is willing to take criticism. In the end, vote for the candidate who makes the future better for all of us.