There are so many of us Yo bloggers that things could get a little redundant. I’m a Yo lover who lives in the Bo (my brand new, as of today coinage), so I usually try to provide the perspective of one with a foot in both worlds, city and suburb.
I originally chose not to write about the Forbes list because between their respective blogs and the Vindy.com comment threads, Tyler and Janko seemed to have matters pretty much in hand.
Then I traveled with the Ohio Supermaximum Players to the Fringe Festival this weekend in NYC (read Brooke Slanina’s beautiful and reflective post about her NYC experience), and my head is now full of swirling random thoughts about the list. I spent part of the weekend visiting with my oldest and dearest friend Michelle who is a Struthers/YSU/Vindicator alum now editing for the Dow Jones. She is a local success story largely because she left and made a life in the big city (and because she’s fabulous).
We were lunching on burgers and beers (I drank Coney Island Human Blockhead, Hard As Nails Lager), when Michelle asked for my thoughts about the list, which a colleague had emailed her. We talked about the population decline, Mayor Williams’s reaction to the list, and current fight to forge a new identity for the city. Unlike many who have left the Yo, Michelle doesn’t have any of that “why are you still there” attitude. She understands that all of the grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins are here, so we’re staying. She wanted my perspective as someone who’s of a more Pro-Yo mindset.
My perspective is this… Mayor Williams’s reaction was spot on. The Forbes list is based on numbers and in no way can it read the energy of the city’s people. Numbers are merely numbers.
My perspective is also this… that the energy of the people is simultaneously inspiring and troubling and sometimes divisive. It seems that the Yo mentality has degenerated into sets of dichotomies based on race, income, education, and geography (as in city v. suburb). We are known for our regional negativism, and this is one of the main reasons for the “why are you still there” mentality (and one of the main reasons, I believe, for the flight of the young people out of the area).
My perspective is also… yet, within and between these dichotomies, new voices are speaking of unity. We’re not talking fluff “let’s all get together” stuff. These voices are articulating real and significant ideas. We see their comments on the blogs and on Vindy.com threads (usually somewhere between Old Man Grump and Bull Chip) and we hear them at meetings (like Drinker and Thinkers), the arts and music festivals, and Monday movies, and the farmers’ markets.
And my perspective is… the region will not turn around in a day or in a decade, but it begins with a little bit of confidence. I once heard the statement “human behavior spreads like a virus.” Mentality is a choice, and it’s infectious. It’s that simple.
Very well said! I agree that regional negativism is a large problem. I also think that when people become mired in negativity it often gives them permission to sit back and do nothing to make good things happen. It is a form of intellectual and physical laziness. It requires energy to be positive and to make things happen.
Thanks Deb. I’m glad you added the point about “intellectual and physical laziness.” I’m so enthused by the pocket of active and positive mentality, in which I’ve assertively inserted myself over the past several months. I’ve been looking for this kind of community for a while.