Cleveland

I used to live in St. Louis, Missouri. When we first moved there, my husband and I (along with family members who had come to help us move) were walking along the river and noticed something in the water close to shore. We looked at it for a while, and when we just couldn't agree on what it was, we asked a guy who was sitting along the fence, and he told us it was a fire hydrant. We looked back at it, disbelieving, and while it did seem to fit the description, we still didn't buy it. We walked away wondering why he would tell us something so absurd.

Well, we reasoned, maybe it's an old one, back before all the redevelopment of the riverfront. Yeah, that must be it. It's just old and they never got rid of it.

We lived in St. Louis for two years, just long enough for me to complete grad school and for my husband to realize that he really didn't want to be an OB/Gyn. And in that time, we did manage to revisit the riverfront a few more times.

During some of these other visits, the water levels weren't quite so high. In fact, they were so low that cars parked on the dirt when they wanted to enjoy some good old-fashioned riverboat gambling. We saw the fire hydrant again, and admitted our folly and arrogance (at least I did; I cannot speak for anyone else).

I thought of this as I looked through the pictures of the Iowa floods earlier, and wonder about the history of civilization and whether there is a lesson to be learned here. I'm not in any way saying anyone deserved any of this, but we've certainly entered a post-Darwinian stage of existence, where it's not only the strongest that survive. I know I've talked about this before, that were we living purely according to Darwin's theories, nobody with any serious illnesses or disabilities would survive. But we've moved beyond that to a sort of communist-Darwinian stage, where we are living 'from each according to his ability, to each according to his need.'

The government takes as much money from us as is legally possible through our taxes, and we donated as much of our time, money, and belongings as we comfortably can. Then, through welfare, the Emergency department (where they are by law required to treat everyone who comes in regardless of his/her ability to pay), and various charity organizations, people get what they need. From each according to his ability, to each according to his need.

And this, I believe, is what angers people about the rich getting richer. They can give more, right? So they should, right? Or should they? Is their desire and ability to be wealthier part of what differentiates America from Canada or any other country? Isn't that what gives Americans hope?

I'm really just thinking out loud here (I'm not a quiet typist), so these thoughts may seem contradictory. Heck, you may not even get any sense of how I feel about the subject, whatever that may be.

But all this really begs the question of where we are headed and where should we be headed. Each and every one of us has an idea of what we believe America is and what it should be. And we would like a leader who will take us where we want to go. Well, right now, believe it or not, we live in a place where good things can and do happen. We are able to help one another and get things done.

I'm not saying this to boast about my accomplishments, but I just helped put together a charity collecting toys for the kids in Cedar Rapids/Iowa City, Iowa who lost everything in the recent floods but still deserved a smile this summer. And people gave. Admittedly, some people used the opportunity to empty out old toys that they couldn't sell at a garage sale, but by in large, people gave what they could to give something special to people who have had very little special this summer. This charity drive was not about me; sure, I'll put it on my resume and make it sound good (I organized it and created the flyers, posters, news releases, and website), but what I really want to come out of this is for Clevelanders to take pride in themselves.

I am sick of hearing about the Brain Drain. It's just not true. Just because it rhymes... Cleveland has long been attracting smart, talented individuals to work in some great companies and live in thriving communities, enjoying the standard of living, less traffic, and cheaper housing. University Circle will be undergoing some exciting development with new stores at street level and housing (as condos and apartments) above. The Cleveland Clinic attracts brilliant physicians, nurses, and other professionals to make it one of the best hospital systems in the nation. We've been attracting biotech industry. We're looking into becoming a new hotbed of Green technology with an infrastructure that is custom made for it. We've got Case Western, Cleveland State, Baldwin Wallace, and a number of other good schools. Private school-wise, we're top notch. We've got the Flats, Ohio City, Tremont, E.6th, and the various theaters to entertain us. We've got the Browns, the Indians, and the Cavs to distract us from the weather.

As for the weather, I love it. It's perfect. We are not limited at all. We get to enjoy both swimming and skiing. We can enjoy every sunny, warm day because we know how precious it is. We have the perfect weather for any sport.

I could go on and on. And sometimes, I feel like I should. We need to believe it. Because the more we talk about Cleveland suffering from a brain drain, the more it will come true. Those with brains that remain in Cleveland will start to head toward where all the other brains have gone, lest they not be thought of as a Brain.

Cleveland, be proud. Cleveland Plus should not be trying to sell itself to you. If we want to turn this city into something you can be proud of, do something about it. I now truly believe in the words of Mahatma Gandhi. "You must be the change you want to see in the world."

We can do anything we put our hearts and minds to. As Summer Santa proved, we can help kids in another city. What do we want to do for the kids in our city? 100% literacy? Green living? Safe streets? Guns gone? 100% graduation rate?

What do you want Cleveland to be? What can you do about it?