In the wake of all the moving hubbub, one of my friends expressed confusion over my affection for the city of Dayton. He could appreciate my desire to not leave family and friends, but didn't understand why leaving the metropolitan edifice itself was saddening.
Had I been a swifter conversationalist, I might have replied "Fellow professor whose first name rhymes with 'blue' but who shall otherwise remain anonymous, why did you cheer for the Boston Red Sox through their 86 years of futility?"
Like the boys of Fenway Park before their recent good fortune, Dayton is a city whose highest glories were nearly a century ago. In latter days, we have been teased by opportunity and reversal, management of all calibers and always the hope that the future will rival the days of yore.
Why is spending a day (and even money) watching one corporation compete against another considered to be normal activity, but supporting an incorporated entity in its struggle against the entropy of modern capitalism is "weird"? Why can't we excuse Ms. McLin's hats as "Just Mayor being Mayor" as Manny Ramirez' eccentricities are dismissed?
Like any true fan, I am also hypersensitive to slights in the media and the public perception. Dayton doesn't get the credit it deserves. For a city of it's size in the middle of the rust belt, it is doing an amazing job. It has more cultural, historical and gastronomical opportunities than many cities far larger and wealthier. In that regard, it is not the Boston Red Sox where anything less than a championship is failure... (switching sports and continents) it is more like the Blackburn Rovers being competitive in the Premier League despite a small population... the situation is a miracle of skill and effort, but still criticized by the cognoscenti as unfashionable.
Alright.... enough of the "hope" and now for the "need for vittles".
Moving plans are proceeding apace. The house has been completely turned upside down to move stuff out of it and to finish off the many postponed projects. By the sweat of our brows, the favors of friends or the writing of checks, we move forward.
At this point, it looks like everything will get done in time to have the house on the market by late April. But the time between now and then is going to be very busy and I probably won't get to say goodbye to the friends that I will miss. I am looking forward to the drive out to California as a chance to relax and let my thoughts settle down before hitting the new job as hard as I can.
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2 comments:
I cheer for it, too, dearest. My favorite part is "Professor whose name rhymes with blue." Hee!
The difference between you (Michael) and "Blue" is that you were born and raised here. Even more of a mystery to "Blue" and "Blevin" and pretty much all of "Blue Dee" is my appreciation for the NORTH end of Dayton. Damn it, my husband went to High School with most of those hookers!
It won't be the same without you two. Kelly, I wish you could have seen Michael's glow (like a very long fluorescent bulb) after the two of you met. It was so obvious that he found just the right person that he wanted to be with forever.
Even though I'll miss you both, I'm really excited for you and your new life. I know you'll make loads of friends right away and start a whole new chapter of the "Straight Turner Chronicles."
Keep in touch (and I'll keep you posted on happenings in the hood.)
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