Oh Detroit

Today I saw a video that the rapper Eminem made about Detroit as the city hosted the NCAA basketball Final Four tournament this past weekend. You can see it on the following website (unfortunately not the original site)

http://community.livejournal.com/ohnotheydidnt/33860460.html

I have been thinking a lot about Detroit and will continue to do so. I believe it is a very unique city. It is nice to see Eminem bring out the strengths in the midst of the weaknesses. Detroit is a clash of opposites. It is depressing and it is inspiring. It is dying yet it is alive. It is scary and it is comforting. Its streets produce fear and familiarity. It is violent and it is peaceful. It is frustrating and it is rewarding. I have experienced Detroit.

What makes Detroit I conclude is its people. The auto worker on the assembly line. The homeless man huddled on the corner. The senior citizens with such great hearts. The families looking out for each other. The slow moving clerk behind the counter. The down and out veteran offering an encouraging word to another. The child longing for his family to stop grieving violent losses. The school teacher trying to be a good example. The man selling the newspaper in the middle of the street. The woman singing her heart out in the church choir. The emergency medical technician pulling the driver from a wrecked car. The fans at a Detroit Tigers baseball game. The security guard escorting an unruly customer out. The young adult struggling to learn to read. The guy selling crawdads on the corner.... I could go on and on.

Detroit is not the fancy Renaissance Center nor is it the empty falling down buildings, it is its people. Here's to Detroit!