Should the Sunday Drive survive?

It is something that I’ve become accustomed to hearing as I tell people that I’m preparing for any trip of a personal nature. The moment that I tell someone that I am driving to get to my destination, I am almost always asked some variation of the question “Am I crazy?” followed normally by the question “Why not (insert mode of transportation here)?” It is one of the times where I realize that I was either born in the wrong period or life or that maybe, just maybe, I am just as crazy as people have always suggested. I hope it’s neither, that it’s the explorer that led me to study history as my life’s work that is trying to make me a better person. My former student activities advisor, John Bennett, has ironically written about the same topic recently on his blog and for a somewhat similar reason. When people travel through the same areas every day, it becomes so normal that it takes a sudden change, like the one that he mentions, to realize that it’s occurred. If you don’t travel through areas normally, this can be applied to the idea that the airplane allows you to see the world, though you are not likely to notice the nuances that are happening at ground level unless they’ve caused an extreme change to the landscape as viewed from above. Bets and I recently returned from a trip to Ashland, OH to visit her family for the holidays. Our trip took us through several of the larger cities located along Interstates 65 and 71, including Nashville, TN, Louisville, KY, Cincinnati, OH & Columbus, OH. All of these cities are metropolises of one type or another, and all cities that I grew up knowing of their existence but not necessarily seeing them. The ability to drive through these towns (making sure that I did not cause any major car pileups while gawking at the buildings and amenities that existed) instead of getting on the bypass that allows you to skip the soul of a region is something that I would encourage anyone who has the time and the means to do. I do realize that getting to California from the East Coast requires the plane ride as well as overseas trips so I want to make sure I mention that before someone attempts to point out that fact as a smart aleck way of missing the point. Mapquest and our need to get somewhere quickly to enjoy every possible second of every trip has caused us to sometimes not realize some hidden gems. There are so many people trying to rush through or get out that sometimes people fail to realize the joys that exist just under the surface. For daily travel within the city, maybe we should leave it to those forms of mass transit that will allow us to stop, pause and take note of the resources that already exist here instead of looking for something to come in and provide it. It also wouldn’t hurt if a bike lane or two allowed us to meander through neighborhoods and enjoy a sense of community, but I digress. During our trip, I used my car for a quick half day trip over to Mansfield. I was able to park easily, and then take to the streets by foot, exploring the town and its gorgeous carousel (sorry, no picture this time, maybe next time). I did take a picture of these old signs because I had seen one of them on the National Trust’s Main Street website and was thrilled to find their actual home. I still wonder how many times I would have missed something if I hadn’t wandered off of the fast track for a moment. If you have the opportunity to travel to another city within your region, perhaps the automobile, the old U.S. highway system and our sense of adventure should allow us to enjoy the Sunday drive slowing down to enjoy the view. I’d hope the same would also be true with life. Take a chance to slow down and enjoy every once in a while. That’s the plan for the new year for me, as well as some day and weekend trips to continue exploring some great towns. Comments, questions, weird dancing bear pics… let me know.

Light it up!

With the flip of the switch (OK, maybe the wave of a hand) and a flash of red in the saturated evening sky, one of the Magic City’s most iconic structures reclaimed its place in the nighttime sky. The relighting of the City Federal building sign on December 14 also served as a symbol of things to come in Birmingham, hopefully many good things.

I live at one of the busier intersections in downtown Birmingham, and already enjoy a pretty interesting view of Vulcan sitting atop Red Mountain. The other view that I have had for the past year was of a quiet, sleeping giant that has recently been happily disturbed in recent months as it one again took its place in the region. My girlfriend cannot help but stop and stare out of the window in the evening every time she walks by. A clear night allows you to see it at least two miles out in all directions. It’s a cool and accommodating view at the same time. It’s the first building that I ever heard of before I ever came to visit the city in the late 90s. I’ve heard of dreams for top floor restaurants, artists’ workspaces, and the prominence that this building could have again.

It definitely represents what the city’s past and it’s potential in the future. The group described by Next Generation’s Rebecca Ryan as transplants and boomerangs at the Chamber's annual meeting last week are enjoying the excitement that this and the scores of other buildings either in design or construction/rehabilitation mean for the city. There are many that also await the status of the Railroad Reservation Park, seen by many to be a key to future development in the downtown Birmingham area.

Stepping outside of the city center, you see homes being renovated throughout the city, businesses expressing interest to expand into our region and plans for a larger airport that will allow for more flexibility as this new group of people discover one of the hidden gems in the South.

Saying all of these things are great, however the trick is going to be sustaining this level of excitement and the hopes and wants for involvement as plans and optimism spread across the region. These things have been swimming in my head in recent weeks. I’ve now been here for one year and have begun to finally have to start answering the question “What made you move here?” and “What is going to keep you here?” While I have had the standard box answers, I’ve had to start thinking about what kept me from heading back up north and what’s kept me in the midst of this crazy love affair with the South. I hope that its because I want to do my part to make this the greatest city in the South and have it stop being a best kept secret, even if there is some dirty laundry that we must still deal with.

We must also not forget the fact that everyone should benefit from these changes as they ooze throughout Birmingham. We need to be able to activate those that have waited for this to happen and encourage them to be as active and vocal as ever as these changes begin to occur around them. We also need to be ready to embrace new people and welcome home those that have decided to return and do their part to light up the Magic City, helping them be as successful as they want to be and need to be.

My hope as this countdown to the new year approaches and people make plans to make those changes to help them be better people is to commit to making sure the right things are done to make the city the best it can be. Whether you’re here in Birmingham or elsewhere, I’m wondering what you’re thinking about in terms of your city as the New Year approaches. I’ll look forward to the responses…