Beauty in Detroit
I took a few journalism classes in school. There’s a saying in the “J” trade that goes something like this: “If a dog bites a man, it’s not news. If a man bites a dog, that’s news.”
Of course, the media seems to mostly grab the negative news emanating from the city of Detroit. Lately, the news has been reporting the negative behavior of our Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, who has fallen from grace, ripped off the city, and gone to jail. So far, he has not bitten any dogs, as far as we know.
When on the speaking circuit, I used to spend considerable time defending my home state. People all over the United States LOVE talking about Michigan’s cold weather for one or more of the following reasons:
- Michigan isn’t known for anything non-weather related.
- Michiganders aren’t known for anything positive.
- Michiganders entertain these stupid discussions.
Script for a stupid discussion
Person from Kansas: Where are you from?
Person from Michigan: Michigan.
Person from Kansas: Isn’t it cold there?
Person from Michigan: Yes! I hate it! I’d like to move! Ugh!
How to avoid stupid discussions
After years of these unrewarding scenarios, I finally found a way to avoid them.
Person from Kansas: Where are you from?
Person from Michigan: Michigan.
Person from Kansas: Isn’t it cold there?
Person from Michigan: Actually, we have four unique and distinct seasons. Michigan is a great place to live and I really like it.
This works like a charm no matter where you’re from. The negative tone of the discussion almost always dissipates and the conversation turns more pleasant. Try it!
Every city and state has it’s problems
Illinois has huge problems with political corruption. Sunny California may enjoy nice weather, but it’s about ten minutes from filing bankruptcy.
We live in a wonderful country. Sure we have problems; we’re working on them. Let’s stop dwelling on the negative and remember to accentuate the positive.
Michiganders–stop agreeing with people who trash-talk your state. We live in a great state, no matter how many dogs the Mayor may have bitten.
Click here to see stunning photos of men and women who attended a benefit at the Detroit Opera House. (My date, Kimberly Jones, got us into the society pages! See above photo.)
It can be a full-time job defending your home state. So stop doing it.
