After a long time away it can be awkward to go home. Wondering will anyone still know me, and will anyone care where life has taken me? No matter what going home has an attraction that is hard to ignore. So again I venture there, in body but mostly in mind/spirit. To feel the streets of childhood and offer my lessons from abroad,
Detroit, MI was the first city I loved. It showed me how to move to a faster rhythm
with grace and style. It brought to me delights of the world-- music, art, food. Whetting my appetite for the depth and richness of human souls. I heard in a recent news report that Detroit has an image
problem and was even listed on a website as the number one city to avoid for vacation travel. That story made a chill run
through me. Had all the charm and
delight of her bold architecture crumbled?
Had the beauty and flair of classic car lines faded and lost their lustre? No, just a few well-placed
voices forgot what truly makes a city great, and worth a stop during rejuvenation
breaks. Detroit has taken a few hits,
lost a few teeth but her truest beauty is in her heart where the people live
and give freely. It takes a studied eye to see real beauty in a crooked smile, and the lyrics in a crying song.
I was born and raised in Detroit, MI, and I left almost 30
years ago but Detroit never left me. The
heart of Detroit still beats strong—it is strong because people still care for
and about one another. The heart still
beats strong because there are doors that swing wide to let in all who seek
for shelter, food, and human compassion.
When this is the desired commodity there is never a shortage in
Detroit. So to all the “nay-sayers” and
“doomsday hawkers” the sound that you hear is the rising crescendo of the
trumpeting dawn. The signal of another
brilliant sunrise on the fertile ground of our own beloved Detroit, MI. To borrow from my homie Marshall Mathers, “… don’t let ‘em say you ain’t beautiful.” Detroit you are deeply and profoundly beautiful, the special ones can see it. They respect it, honor it, they love you.
