One Way
Nothing cooler than having a picture of a “one way” sign for an article titled “One Way”.
Ok, now that you are done rolling your eyes into the backside of your head, let’s get talkin’
For quite a few years now (since 1993 actually), I’ve lived in the city of Pittsburgh, or within it’s immediate surrounding areas – Mt Oliver, Munhall *Waterfront*, etc) and constantly heard the typical Pittsburgh gripe about how nothing changes, nothing is getting better, and there is nothing “in it for me”. The problem is that I still hear that at the same level, and coming out of peoples mouths right smack in the middle of all the changed areas.
Is it coming from “old boy” politics? ….. No.
Is it coming from “loss of jobs”? ….. No.
Then what is the source? Well, if you talk to allot of the people doing the complaining you will find one common issue – the fact that if they want to see or become part of the changed city it requires that they upgrade their lives. This is a problem for allot of folks (I’m not talking about our seniors nor the physically/mentally challenged – personally I think the city should help them in every possible to just enjoy their lives), simply because it could mean learning more at their jobs, or even going back to school to gain additional sought after skills so they can afford to upgrade their lives. Why is this such a problem for some folks? It’s work, plain and simple ….. if you want a new and better life you have to work for it, or just be happy with your old stagnating life.
How do I know these are still issues?
- While standing outside a new fashionable restaurant I overhead someone talking about how THEY could never enjoy it because the city has not changed and created something just for them (I am assuming they wanted another restaurant with a $1 menu and cool looking plastic chairs from the local dollar store).
- I have had friends tell me that I am now hanging out with “those people” …. aka … the rich and snobby ….. and nothing has changed in the city because there is nothing left for them.
- I have had the same person that once said to me that the city needs to knock all of those old soot covered buildings down in the city, say there are no new cool places to live in the city. Ummm … most of those old soot covered buildings are NOW the COOL places to live in the city.
- People in the suburbs still complain that there is nothing new or nothing coming to the city … when asked the last time they were there, they will usually answer with something like “about 10 years ago”
So no matter what your thinking is …. ignorance to where you haven’t gone into the city to experience the ongoing changes, head turning to your old friends because they are upgrading their lives to give their families new hope in our evolving city (and maybe hanging out with people that did the same), disliking those with more than you because they are spending the money that is funding the ability to reinvent our city, or some other thinking ….
Maybe you need to look at yourself and see if YOU need changing ….. I did that 7 years ago, and now I live in one of the coolest places in the city, go to some of the better restaurants, actually work for allot of the movers and shakers around, and generally proven that anyone in any situation can upgrade their lives if they want.
To give you an idea of where I came from and how hard I had to work – in 1993 my family lost everything (sorry, no details because it involved info on others). I had $25 and a half broken down car. I spent the next 5 years recovering from that, and at one point had to choose to slowly get into a depression and live my life by the “one way” method, or start upgrading myself and my thinking – so that when I do have a family, they can have better.
Why does that matter? ….. well, it matters because the more ambition you have to upgrade yourself, the more it will inspire others, who will upgrade their surroundings (and our city) even further. So, if you decide to live “one way”, the only way you’ve ever known – you hold others back, and additionally keep hope away from your children.
At this point in my life I have made a decision to move away from the city for a few years, so that I can spend more time with my newly acquired family and also time further upgrading myself. In this way I will provide a vehicle for my to be step-daughter to have the opportunities to upgrade her life and enjoy what is happening in this city.
So, if you don’t agree with me about upgrading your life, let me ask you this one question:
Was all the hard work your parents did to make your life better completely worthless? …… because in your laziness (or possibly self-pity), you decided thaty upgrading your life to make life better for the next generation, was …… just …… a …… little ……. too …… much …… effort?
I don’t know about you, but I want a new city and I’m gonig to work for it ….. how about the rest of yinz? You want better for the generation you are raising?
Recent Comments