Where are you from?

Hamilton County is booming. There are new apartment buildings and subdivisions seemingly everywhere. School districts are building a new school every year.

Hamilton County has increased in population by about 300,000 people since I began the practice of law in Noblesville. Meeting a new friend or client often brings up the question, “Where are you from?”

That brings up a story from college.

When I went to college “Where are you from?” was the first question I received after the initial inquiry about my name. There really wasn’t any town close so I always replied that I was from Henpeck, Indiana, the nearest crossroads with a grocery store and church and maybe two homes. Of course, no one at Purdue had heard of Henpeck.

“Where is that?”

I replied, “It is near Monroe.”

Where is that? No one had heard of Monroe, so I said I was from Decatur, the county seat of Adams County. Only one or two had heard of Decatur, so I began saying in response to “Where are you from?” with “I’m from Fort Wayne.”

We have folks here in Hamilton County from Bethlehem, Millersburg, Strawtown, Atlanta, Jolietville, Mudsock, and Walnut Grove. Of course, there are also a few from Carmel, Fishers, Westfield, and Noblesville. We also have neighbors and friends here from more than 40 different countries.

Our firm has served clients in Bulgaria, Afghanistan, Germany, England, Japan, and Vietnam. Through the power of the Internet answers to where you from can come from anywhere in the world.

Where are you from?

Ray Adler is a longtime attorney with offices at The Adler Building, 136 S. 9th St., Downtown Noblesville. He is also one of the owners of The Hamilton County Reporter Newspaper.