February 25, 2013 (Monday)
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times”–Charles Dickens
Forbes Magazine published their annual listing of twenty cities whose living conditions are lableled, “miserable.” Detroit heads the list this year. Seven of the ten criteria for inclusion on this list are economic, and the other three are indirectly related to the city’s economy.
Many of the cities were clustered around the Great Lakes region of the country, where loss of jobs has been the main problem in recent years. Where industries once thrived in cities that led the nation in economic progress, now they are disappearing. Morale is low.
I may not have read the article very closely, but there was not much about entertainment, the arts, medical facilities, or such. There were no vignettes about the daily lives of the people who live in these “miserable” cities; there were few personal reflections from the residents. Nothing was said about faith and its effects in the lives of people.
I grew up during the Depression of the 30’s. Economically, it was a horrible era, but in some other ways, good things were happening. There were more smiles and laughs in those days. People were satisfied with less, and basic necessities trumped luxury. Hard work became synonymous with opportunity and privilege. Oh, of course the times were hard, very hard, but the impact upon people was not all bad. You might even say it brought out the best in many people who learned to help others and share with them.
The list of miserable cities should be scrapped, and the reporters should go on a scavenger hunt for good stuff. I’m sure it’s out there, waiting to be discovered.