Cool Cleveland Comment
Boomerang back to your roots

At Cool Cleveland, we've received many responses to soon-to-be Oberlin grad Chad Kutting’s commentary [See Are We Forced To Leave? here]. Some we've published as letters, and others, like this one, as a Cool Cleveland Comment. If you'd like to comment yourself, send it to: Letters@CoolCleveland.com

I wanted to respond to a recent editorial called “Forced To Leave”, because as I could relate to the article on a very intimate level to what the author wrote, I also have a “chapter two” version from the perspective of a 37 year old.

My background is very similar to the author’s. I grew up in or around Cleveland, in a blue collar, eastern European, Catholic family. Going to college and having the opportunity to advance in the professional world was new to our family, relatives, and neighborhood friends. Having been blessed with a caring family, tight home town support network of friends, and a solid education made successful by an extreme work ethic and several part time jobs, I was able to break away to college and get that big time dream job. After graduation I took a job with a large, fast growing consulting firm and began making my way around the global economy. I knew every 3 letter airport code and all the rental car and hotel folks knew me by name. It was exciting and it was an imperative step to get me to where I am today professionally.

That’s probably where “chapter one” ends and “chapter two” begins. I got married in ’96, had my first son in ’98, and my second son in ’00. I realized the 3 most important people in my life were the three I mentioned in the prior sentence. I also realized that those I mentioned in the previous paragraph are a close second, my caring family (now extended through marriage), and my hometown support network of friends. So how is this any different from any other weepy, homesick story? Because, after having seen the world, I truly believe that the best place for me to raise my family, be a successful professional, and add value to my community, is right where it all started for me.

9 months out of the year, the weather is beautifully passionate, with variety that makes visitors jealous. My wife and I always talk about planning vacations in Northeast Ohio in the summer because the weather is so perfect and there’s so much to do with the boys. Lake Erie is our destination almost every weekend in the summer, and the camping weather is about as good as it gets. In the fall, you get a display of color that is seen almost no where else in the States. And, some of our most memorable times are in the snow, just hiking through any of the many parks that are within 15 minutes of your house where ever you live in Northeast Ohio.

Our boys have been to more museums and institutions of learning than most parents could dream of and that’s because we’ve only sampled about 10% of what Northeast Ohio has to offer. We’re a sports family too so there’s never a weekend throughout the year when we couldn’t find something to do. Our boys have learned to love music so a trip with the school to Playhouse Square or Severance is a yearly event. And a word about the schools. Yes, our Cleveland school district is struggling but there’s a wealth of great schools all around Northeast Ohio. We’ll get on a track towards comprehensive improvements in schools as we continue to collaborate more and leverage our best practices.

And lastly, here are a couple less obvious reasons to “boomerang” back to your roots once you’re ready to raise that family and live out your dreams. The people here are great. Everywhere I’ve been in the world, people comment on the friendliness of our town. The culture is rich, and the roots run deep. This deep seeded pride breeds commitment to our families, our friends, and our community. It’s good to feel like you can make a difference, and you can certainly do that here. The people here are smart, book smart and street smart. The combination of white collar and blue collar in close social proximity is a unique brand of diversity. And speaking of diversity, check out other cities and see why we are on the top 10 list of cities that have been able to leverage their diversity for positive change.

The list of tangible reasons to one to come back home for “chapter two” can go on for pages. The fact that you are reading this in Cool Cleveland means there’s a full list of goodies below to cherish with your family as part of Tom’s email update. The intangibles however are the ones that make me feel good about waking up every morning, even when it cold and slushy in February. I have a younger friend, a colleague that is going away to the big city to advance his career. I wish him the best, I know he will do great things, but I also know that I can expect him to bring that talent, passion, and home town charisma back here after he’s sown his wild, professional oats. We’ll start a business in Cleveland and I can work for him as I plan for early retirement. His kids will love the snow, the Lake, the parks, the neighborhoods, and the safe, caring environment. It’s not that I want bright, young minds to leave town, but if you love something, let it go, if it…well you know the rest of the quote.

For all of us that intend to stay here, or come back here at some point in their life, let’s always be grateful for the special place we call our home town, and let’s be what we ARE, not what we WANT to be. Let’s market to ourselves and to others outside our region that we are the place to be for raising a family and becoming tight knit with your community. We are not the hustle and bustle of the big city, nor are we the vacation destination, but we are the place you’d want to spend the most valuable days of your life with the most important people in your life. THIS is My Town.

from Cool Cleveland reader Joe Smucny joe.smucnyATperceptis.com Send your comments to: Letters@CoolCleveland.com (:divend:)