“It’s Alive! It’s Alive! It’s Alive!”
This is probably one of the most classic lines ever from a horror movie. And yet, I found myself repeating these same lines over and over this past Sunday while walking the streets of the Oregon District.
For years, everyone from Forbes Magazine to our own media touted that Dayton, Ohio was a dying city. With the loss of the GM and Delphi plants, many large corporations and more, it was almost like people were giving up hope – that there was no reason to even try. Ask almost anyone how they felt about Dayton and the entire Miami Valley, and the general consensus was, “I can’t wait to get the heck outta here.”
Slowly but surely, we are pulling ourselves up by the bootstraps. Slowly but surely, we are – once again – rebuilding our great city. In the aftermath of the flood of 1913, all the residents, near and far, rallied around each other, and helped put together the town, piece by piece, brick by brick.
This time around the re-building may not be as literal as it was after the flood, but the results of the damage were almost as devastating. Apathy seemed to be the common denominator. People took a “why bother” stance.
But something great was happening in the background. Positive energy and forward thinking and visions were brewing underneath the complacency and negativity. There were enough people around that loved Dayton, and that felt strongly enough about the culture, the people and the future, that good things started happening.
As a town that has one of the best arts, music, nightlife and park systems around, people starting re-discovering why they loved this area in the first place.
The “Dayton is Ok – if you’ve never been anywhere else” stickers were being torn down. The wonderful positive attitude of the few started spreading to the many. Our town started a re-birth. And most everyone was drawn to the potential and that we could have an “It’s Great in Dayton” attitude once more.
This past Sunday, at the First Four Festival, I couldn’t stop smiling. I couldn’t stop looking around at all the people that had come to celebrate not just basketball, but something bigger than that. Something you just can’t name. We were a town again. We were a city to be proud of. Our businesses and our politicians and Wright Pat Air Force Base came together with the Downtown Dayton Partnership and the Dayton Development Coalition to put on a party that celebrated so many things: community, college basketball, families, friends, survival and re-birth. And what a party it was.
Dayton, Ohio isn’t just the Birthplace of Aviation and the home of so many visionaries, inventors and more. More than that, Dayton is a just wonderful place to call home.
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Exuberance Trumps Caution
“Sometimes your exuberance over-rides your brain.”
This was my husband, speaking to our dog Charlie when he made a failed attempt at jumping up on top of a fairly high chair. Luckily he wasn’t hurt – he never is. I had to laugh though, because it made me think of all the times I’ve done that very thing.
There are many times in my life where the actual idea far outweighs the intended goal. I have no doubt you can relate. As I look back, I’ve had many exuberant ideas that really sounded great – at the time. From failed attempts at jumping a bike over a backyard bench (sorry mom) to the almost relief that my last minute sky-diving lesson had been cancelled due to high winds.
I don’t think I go through life with blinders on; it’s more like rose colored glasses. At the time, almost every idea is a good one. When I am drinking a glass of wine, my ideas aren’t just good, they are utterly fantastic. I’ve planned parties, trips, businesses, another child, new careers, additions to our four-legged clan and the end to world hunger - all over some cabernet.
I’ve watched my children go through the stages of trial and error, as I know you have. They thought that the idea of eating crayons, drinking an entire gallon of milk while standing up at the refrigerator or climbing a fence with barbed wire at the top all sounded like a great idea, yet the end result had some pretty good repercussions. My granddaughters are starting to follow suit, although I do notice that one of them was born with the “caution gene” where the other two are more “throw caution to the wind”. Both are great, but don’t worry – I’m sure I will be able to loosen up the “caution gene”.
I watch my dogs do the same. Apparently they can’t see color, and don’t realize that the fly they’ve chased and are about to swallow is actually a bee. Or when you eat all of the stuffing out of your chew toy, the law of “what goes in must come out” suddenly applies.
I guess I belong to the “jump first, ask questions later” club. Those of you that are members understand that we were born this way, and sometimes common sense just never seems to factor into the equation.
Most of the time, the end results are fine. Or I actually do think about it and realize that maybe it wasn’t such a great idea after all. Thank God. Otherwise I’d have a child entering kindergarten right now, and I’d be living on a farm raising pot-bellied pigs.
In my world, exuberance trumps caution every time. I may have forgotten one thing though – and it’s quite important. Just as children have their parents, I too am blessed to have my own safety net – in the form of a much grounded husband.
This was my husband, speaking to our dog Charlie when he made a failed attempt at jumping up on top of a fairly high chair. Luckily he wasn’t hurt – he never is. I had to laugh though, because it made me think of all the times I’ve done that very thing.
There are many times in my life where the actual idea far outweighs the intended goal. I have no doubt you can relate. As I look back, I’ve had many exuberant ideas that really sounded great – at the time. From failed attempts at jumping a bike over a backyard bench (sorry mom) to the almost relief that my last minute sky-diving lesson had been cancelled due to high winds.
I don’t think I go through life with blinders on; it’s more like rose colored glasses. At the time, almost every idea is a good one. When I am drinking a glass of wine, my ideas aren’t just good, they are utterly fantastic. I’ve planned parties, trips, businesses, another child, new careers, additions to our four-legged clan and the end to world hunger - all over some cabernet.
I’ve watched my children go through the stages of trial and error, as I know you have. They thought that the idea of eating crayons, drinking an entire gallon of milk while standing up at the refrigerator or climbing a fence with barbed wire at the top all sounded like a great idea, yet the end result had some pretty good repercussions. My granddaughters are starting to follow suit, although I do notice that one of them was born with the “caution gene” where the other two are more “throw caution to the wind”. Both are great, but don’t worry – I’m sure I will be able to loosen up the “caution gene”.
I watch my dogs do the same. Apparently they can’t see color, and don’t realize that the fly they’ve chased and are about to swallow is actually a bee. Or when you eat all of the stuffing out of your chew toy, the law of “what goes in must come out” suddenly applies.
I guess I belong to the “jump first, ask questions later” club. Those of you that are members understand that we were born this way, and sometimes common sense just never seems to factor into the equation.
Most of the time, the end results are fine. Or I actually do think about it and realize that maybe it wasn’t such a great idea after all. Thank God. Otherwise I’d have a child entering kindergarten right now, and I’d be living on a farm raising pot-bellied pigs.
In my world, exuberance trumps caution every time. I may have forgotten one thing though – and it’s quite important. Just as children have their parents, I too am blessed to have my own safety net – in the form of a much grounded husband.
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