Hope in the D

(Excerpt from March 2011)

Hope. Sometimes, no matter what circumstance you may be facing in life, it is the one thing you can always hold onto. Hope to get that A in your Orgo class, that acceptance letter from Harvard Med or Yale Law, hope for that dream job offer, hope for a love that lasts forever, hope your family can make it through financial troubles, hope that maybe one day there will be peace, a cure for cancer, no more violence or hate, even hope your favorite sports team brings home the Cup this year (let’s be serious, my essay wouldn’t be complete without an immediate Wings reference). We have all had times in our lives where all we could do was hope...

About 2 years ago I wrote an essay on pride in Detroit, pride in a city that was suffering: the fall of the Big Three, a corrupt mayor sent to jail, losses for every single sports team in the city, and a bad reputation in the minds of those not from here. But nonetheless pride in all my city stands for. I write to you once again from a Starbucks, this time in Northville. Yes, after my 4 years of debauchery in Boston and a bit of trouble-making in San Diego along the way, I am home again. I think Mitch Albom put it best when he said “Maybe because when our kids finish college and we see them back home, we ask what happened, and they say ‘I missed my friends and family.’ And we nod and say we understand.” 

Hope is defined as belief in a positive outcome. Well, that is what I have for Detroit, what this album stands for, hope. Hope that, over time, the city can gradually evolve into what it once was, to be as bright and vibrant as any other major American city. But what makes this situation different from other events in our lives where all we can do is hope? This time we have the ability  to do more, to work together to revive the city. Yes, I still have hope, but I also have the determination to save a city with so much potential.

My father grew up in one of the worst neighborhoods in downtown Detroit so, with him as my chauffeur while taking most of these pictures, I was able to see all aspects of my favorite city. I saw the beauty of the RenCen, the energy at Wings games, the delicious food that restaurants downtown offer, the bright lights that line Greektown, the strength depicted in Joe Louis' fist and in the Spirit, and the sense of genuine interest at the Auto Show. But then there was the erie silence in the neighborhoods, the desertion at the old train station, the sadness of a group of men gathered around a trash can fire to stay warm, and the emptiness around the outside of a city that was once full of life, life in a city the size of San Francisco, Boston, and Manhattan combined. And that is where hope comes into play. Hope to bring life and light back to the D. Whether through a new central line of transportation, urban farming, new restaurants, new shops, an improved Hart Plaza, more attractions along our waterfront, improved schools, less crime, or even another Eminem concert (I'd personally really enjoy that), it's going to be the little steps that save our city. These little steps, and always a sense of hope.

I titled the album Light in a Dark City, and I believe the picture below best shows that. Taken in the Historical District of Detroit on a very cold January afternoon, I had a hard time getting a good shot of the cobblestone streets and old 19th century houses. Why? There was some sort of big, bright thing in the sky. If you’re from Michigan, you know it’s not very often we see sunlight in the winter months; and if we do, it catches us off guard. But on that particular day, the sun was shining on Detroit, as bright as I had seen it in more months than I’d like to remember. No, it may not be some dramatic sign from the heavens of God looking down on the D, but you know what? For this instance, I’ll say it was. There is light in our dark city; you just have to wait for it, look for it, and embrace it.

So what’s next on my list of life adventures? Law school, that’s what, somewhere in Michigan naturally. Why law? Wasn't I pre-med for forever? Eh, no med school for this one, gonna get that JD. And do what with it? Save the city of Detroit, of course. Some laugh a little when I tell them this, but you should always pursue what you are most passionate about in life (plus, let's be serious, I can’t be a huge bum at the golf course for forever). Well, I’m passionate about Detroit; therefore, my hope is to help save our city, to make a positive impact on it, to rebuild it.

Now hopefully (there I go with that theme of mine again), the next time I write to you, I’ll be happily sitting in the Starbucks on Woodward Ave, watching families, friends, businessmen, and visitors from all over walk Detroit’s streets, embracing all the city has to offer. And I have hope that sometime in my life, whether 1 year, 5 years, 10 years down the road, that will happen. And I’ll be there when it does. So until then, always stay Detroit strong my friends.