It's So Cold in the D

I want to apologize up front today for my snarky, annoyed attitude as of late. I'm finding it very difficult to celebrate life when it's below zero outside and all my pants have salt stains down the back. That being said, I've become very inspired to just bisatch about certain things that I find annoying or weird or just dumb. I stumbled upon one of those things today and I'm actually not even sure what to call it. For our local readers I hope you will recognize this thing and maybe you will agree with me, maybe you won't. I am annoyed today at this collective group mentality that certain things ONLY happen here and it must be if we were born here then clearly we are all a part of this genetic group that these things happen to. Allow me to try and explain.

Yesterday on the Detroit Free Press website (freep.com) I read another article about the plight of Detroit and how Detroiters are doing this and doing that to survive. They are all fighting through this economic crisis as only Detroit residents can. They've got the grit and the strength to tough it out and get down to business. You know, they grow em different here in the D. I'm not sure what they are saying by lumping everyone together like this...is there something in the water? Are they all born with their middle finger in the air? Somehow I doubt it. Sure the conditions make people tough, but I'd argue that it has nothing to do with their nature....likely something to do with nurture. And nurture is learned behavior that anyone anywhere would develop if they lost their job or had to dig out from 12 inches of snow everyday. No one is going to roll over and die. If people in California were suddenly hit by a major crisis be it a natural disaster or a mayoral scandal would they run for the hills and never come back out? My point is that I just think people here and everywhere are human...nothing more, nothing less. You adapt to your circumstances and just keep going. I find it annoying and pandering when journalists try to brand people in the city and even the burbs as being part of a unique group of badasses that aren't going to wither and die like the rest of the country would in this situation. Last I checked people were rebuilding New Orleans and NYC is still standing.

Along the same lines, I came across another article today, again on the freep, entitled "D is for Dummies." It's about the reckless driving that ONLY takes place in this tiny little southeastern part of Michigan. Did you guys know that you are THE worst drivers in the entire country?! How about that for an accolade! I'm sure icy road conditions in other states don't cause people to spin out or get stuck in ditches. It apparently is segregated to our little corner of the world. One commenter firmly agreed with the author by posing the rhetorical question "What? People don't know how to drive in Michigan?!" Something must have gone horribly wrong in all of our Michigan sponsored driver's ed classes. That's the only explanation I can come up with for why we as a group "don't know how to drive." I'm putting money on the fact that there is an article just like this in every newspaper in the country branding their hometown population as THE best this and that or THE worst bla bla bla. So why do people feel the need to form these group labels? I guess it makes everyone chuckle and say...yeah, we are tough! Or - of course that woman cut me off last night...Michigan has the worst drivers in the country! Everyone feels better being a part of a group, no matter if it's good or bad. I just think it's kinda silly.