Skip to main content

There There

A famous Gertrude Stein quote, spoken originally in reference to Oakland, California:

The trouble with Oakland is that when you get there, there isn't any there there.

It has been recycled and reused many times and its meaning has evolved to mean a place which lacks a sense of place. Like Columbia Gateway, perhaps? We all bristled at Julia Louis-Dreyfus' disparaging account of working on Veep in a warehouse in the Gateway, but deep down were we in quiet agreement that there's just no "there there"?

Well, community belongs to those who are willing to work to make it happen. And last night at a meet-and-greet for local hero Colonel Gateway, held at Aida Bistro, I saw a room full of people hungry to be a part of ADG Creative's initiative to give Gateway more of a sense of pride of place. So what if some disdainful out-of-towner described Columbia as "home to one of the dreariest American landscapes imaginable"? It's our landscape. We may laugh about it amongst ourselves, but how much better it is to laugh at the antics of Colonel Gateway, whose humor is meant to bring people together.

Looking at Colonel Gateway as a community activist, I wonder how he felt about the success of last night's event. It drew somewhere in the range of seventy-five people who very likely wouldn't have been in the Gateway after business hours (or ever). Baltimore Sun/HoCoTimes' Jon Sham was surprised and impressed by the large turnout. Who knew whether some good natured buzz on Twitter would result in actual humans walking through the door? It could have been a bust.

It wasn't. The mood was positive, full of enthusiasm. Folks came ready to be in on the spoof of the time-traveling gentleman in colonial garb who loves Gateway and abhors those pesky geese. In short, people wanted to be there. They wanted to participate. Perhaps they wanted to learn more. All great qualifications for community building. And for having a good time.

How do you create change? How do you challenge people's attitudes in a positive way? Well, consider this. My local bank branch is closing and we have been notified that unless we specify a different choice, our accounts will be moved to the Gateway branch. Before all this excitement with the Colonel, I would have said, "Gateway! That's ridiculous. We never go over there."

And now? "Well, maybe we should be going over there more often."

Well played, Colonel. Well played.

Oh, and one more thing. This happened:

@amandacyeager: And the @ColGateway award for "distinguished user of the Twitters" goes to... @macsmom!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Getting Fresh

One of my favorite days in the Spring comes when this year’s list of Farmer’s Markets is released. That happened this week. New this year are markets in Old Ellicott City and the “Merriweather Market” which, according to the address, will be located here . I mistakenly thought at first glance that it was in the new-construction part of the Merriweather District. I find the name confusing considering its actual location. I’m going to guess that this market is an initiative of the Howard Hughes Corporation because the name seems chosen more for branding purposes than anything else.  Alas, the market in Maple Lawn is gone. The thread on the markets on the County Executive’s FB page will provide you with quite the education in who actually runs the Farmers Markets vs what people often think is going on. Short answer: they are not  chosen nor run by the county. Each market is an independent entity, sometimes started by community volunteers, other times supported by local businesses...
1 comment
Read more

They Can Wait

This is not a typical Saturday post. That’s because, in my community, it’s not a typical Saturday.  Oakland Mills High School, after years of deferred repair, needs massive renovation. It’s pretty simple: when you don’t fix a problem it gets bigger. The school system itself said the the OMHS school building was  "no longer conducive to learning" back in 2018.  2018 .  But Thursday the Boad of Education voted to push it out of the lineup of important projects which will be given the go-ahead to proceed soonest.  In my opinion it’s a terrible decision and sets a dangerous precedent. To explain, here’s the advocacy letter I sent in support of Oakland Mills High School. I was rather proud of it. I am writing to ask you to proceed with needed renovation at Oakland Mills High School in the most timely and comprehensive manner humanly possible. I have read the letter sent to you by the Oakland Mills Community Association and I am in complete agreement. You are extremel...
1 comment
Read more

What Kids Are Thinking

  It’s a Monday in February, and if you guessed that a lot of Howard County students have the new cell phone policy on their minds, you’d be right. It will mean big changes and it will be stressful, no matter how much good we hope it will do in the long run. But on this particular Monday cell phones might not be top of mind, as amazing as that seems. Some kids will go to school wondering if they or family members will be seized by ICE. Some will fear that their parents’ employment will be purged by the ongoing rampage of Elon Musk and his cronies through Federal Government. Some fear heightened and renewed racism as programs that supprted Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion are vilified and destroyed.  Some worry that it soon won’t be safe for them to use the bathroom in school anymore. It goes without saying that some kids fear going to school every day because of the prevalence of school shootings.  And look! Here’s something new to fear. That old hate group, Libs of TikTo...
1 comment
Read more