The question about why would anyone settle in Minneapolis could lead to a good discussion.
For me, I grew up in Windom Park and I've pretty much lived here my entire life with exception to a year living near Beltrami Park and a year in St. Paul near Larpenteur Ave. and Dale St. Why do I like it? It's close to my family - my gramma lives in Holland neighborhood and my sister lives in Audubon Park (two blocks from me). It's easy to get to and from my job. It's easy to get to Dinkytown, which I visit often as a volunteer for my fraternity and easy to get downtown for Timberwolves and Twins games (I'm a season-ticket holder for each). I've lost touch with most of the childhood friends I grew up with, but I've met some pretty cool people as a member of the Eastside Food Coop and through volunteering with Windom Park Citizens in Action, so I still have good friends in the area, even if they're not life-long friends. While I may not agree with my local elected officials on everything, I do get the sense that they at least listen to what I have to say and respect my opinion even when theirs might differ. That may not sound like a big deal, but when you read about the kind of stuff going on in Preston, MN over the proposed tire-burning facility, you realize that's not always a given. Of course, Minneapolis isn't perfect, given the recent history with some of our park board members, but I think it's still better than most. Some poeple complain about crime a lot in Minneapolis, but I've been lucky so far. Nobody's ever tried to mug me or steal stuff out of my house or garage - even when I've forgotten to close the door after I get home. But I realize that the happy picture I've drawn doesn't apply to everyone in Minneapolis. So while I might have great reasons for me to settle here, I still think it's something that each of us has to evaluate for ourselves. Were I in a position like Dyna Sluyter, who originally asked this question, I think I would likely feel differently. The picture she paints of someone who's a bit older and basically alone, with few, if any, remaining ties to Minneapolis and a longing for a quieter life away from the bright lights of the city suggests that maybe Minneapolis is no longer the best fit for her. But unlike Dyna, I don't see that as an indictment of Minneapolis. She reminds me a lot of my dad, who moved from Holland neighborhood out to Andover about 15 years ago. His move was mostly because of a dispute with neighbors about the small engine repair shop he operated out of his home. They didn't like the noise and he didn't like the meddling. It didn't look like there was any common ground to be found, so he looked around for someplace that made more sense for him. He found a place out where he could have a bit more space and neighbors who weren't close enough to be bothered by his working at night. And that's worked out for him. So my suggestion for folks who are unhappy living in Minneapolis is that there are really three courses of action available: 1. Roll up your sleeves and try to change what makes you unhappy. 2. Try to find a better fit elsewhere. 3. Stick around, but do nothing and stay miserable. The last one doesn't make a lot of sense logically, but you still see a lot of people making that choice. Why? I think it's because the first two can be hard to swallow for a lot of folks, both due to a fear of change and because it means taking personal responsibility for your happiness rather than simply blaming all of your problems on your neighbors, your elected officials or the general unfairness of it all. I don't really buy the excuse that we cannot make a difference in our situations because there's simply been too many examples to the contrary. I hope they won't be insulted by this, but there's nothing particularly special about folks like Dennis Plante, Wizard Marks or Barbara Lickness that caused them to make a difference in their neighborhoods, other than that they were willing to try. But for those folks who are unconvinced about their ability to change things, then I guess I would respectfully suggest they try to find happiness elsewhere if they can. Nobody should settle for being miserable. Mark Snyder Windom Park REMINDERS: 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
