Technically, I wasn't born in Detroit, but in the Michigan capitol of East Lansing, but we moved there when I was a toddler. I grew up there, graduated from high school there, and lived there well into my twenties, so I consider it my home town. Detroit (and all of the Michigan manufacturing sector) has been in the news a lot lately because of all the troubles with the economy and job loss in the auto industry in particular. Over the years, Detroit has seen other deepening problems like many of the larger towns and cities - crumbling infrastructure, social and educational ills, declining population and tax base. My heart goes out to my old Motor City home. What will happen with the Big Three I can't say, but I hope things will improve, rebound, whatever you want to call it. And it's pretty clear that when they do, it won't look like it did before, and I think that's a good thing. It's like we are all being handed (though we might have said we'd take a pass, given the choice) an opportunity to re-evaluate our lives and our priorities in a way that can only lead to positive changes.
Change is definitely in the air. I'm reading about it on your blogs, seeing it on the news. I think we're all starting to get it in a deeper way that it's all of us or none of us. Real freedom is an illusion if some of us anywhere in the world are still enslaved, suppressed or denied their basic rights. None of us can be truly, fully satisfied while there is hunger, disease and lack of education out there. Because in reality, there is no "out there" out there. So I wish my Detroit (and all of us everywhere around our home planet) a meaningful recovery, and a brighter future - one where everyone can thrive, and be at peace.
Detroit skyline photo at www.planetware.com
Posts
10 comments:
Great post, Deb... "Detroit" stands for all of us in the country. We all need a dose of reality these days--and we all need to get back to a simpler way of living.
Change is what we wanted--and change is what we're getting. BUT--I'm not sure it's the type of change that most people 'voted' for.
Our Govt. has NO CLUE what to do--other than to spend more money and keep living the 'high-life'.... We --the PEOPLE--need to take our country back!!!!!
Hugs,
Betsy
I suspect that no matter what is done or not done or who does it and who doesn't there will be those who say it isn't enough, or it's too much. We're as much to blame for where we are today as anyone as much as I would love to lay it all on the republicans and the fat cats. As a people we've been more focused on ourselves than on the need this country has for serious repair -- schools, infrastructure etc. etc. etc. It's mostly when we start feeling the pain in our own pocketbooks that we start looking for the bad guys to blame. I just hope we learn something from all of this.
We are definitely suffering here in Michigan and I hope we can move towards progress. There is so much blame to go around (unions, govt, us, greedy CEOs) that it's so hard to know what to believe - but I can only hope we ALL get our act together.
P.S. On a different note - you inspired my birding post today on my bird blog!
Well said and heartfelt. These are most interesting times to be sure. Real change always seems to be what we never even considered....
there is so much that needs to be done but we first need to look within our own families for those needing encouragement and love...
I remember visiting my very loving, childless Detroit Auntie and getting all dressed up to go shopping downtown with her at Hudson's Department Store. Back then things were booming and I was in kindergarten and first grade.
agreeing with sk
the soundtrack should include "sympathy for the devil" ...after all, it was you and meee.
Terrific post. We all need the reality check that Detroit provides. I'm sure they would like things to be different and as you say, it will change. If we don't swim together, we will sink.
Hi to Detroit! I live in Texas and haven't been back to Michigan in about thirty years, but I grew up in Fair Haven and Detroit was "The City" to us LOL
We can't depend on the government to fix a problem that was partially caused by us depending on the government. We have grown into a society of many who think that because they want it that they should have it and they should have it now and they shouldn't have to work for it.
I worry about our kids. We have left them such a mess.
I see the news about AIG giving bonuses with stimulus money and I am enraged. The world is absurd.
I want to vote for YOU!!!
Post a Comment