It was nice to be back. (Detroit, Livonia: jobs, sick, housing)

[DestinationSeattle]

My wife and I drove back to Livonia to spend Thanksgiving with her mom. It was my first time back in Michigan in two years. Having lived out here in the D.C. area for the past four-plus years, I thought I'd offer my observations on what I liked about coming home, and what seems to have changed.

First, the bad.

-- The area really is in an economic downturn. Even in Livonia, one of the better-off suburbs in recent years, had a lot of empty storefronts. It's all too clear that the entire Detroit area has come to rely too much on the auto industry, and now that the U.S. automakers aren't doing very well, the entire area is suffering ... it seems to have nothing to fall back on. No contingency plan.

-- The weather. We had to scrape our windows on the morning we left for home. Yuck! We've definitely gotten soft with the past few years of milder DC winters. That cold back in Michigan ripped right through us and made us both feel achy and old.

But there was good stuff, too!

-- I went to the Packers-Lions game on Thanksgiving, and wow, Ford Field was impressive, even though I hate domed stadiums. I'd love for the area to find more ways to revitalize itself like this.

-- The pace of life is so much slower and calmer. This is probably a Midwest thing that I always took for granted when I lived there, but having lived out here in fast-paced DC, I was amazed by the difference. It's not that people are lackadaisacal in the Midwest ... it's just that they won't try to scream at you and run you down like they do out here.


-- The roads were a dream. The interstates were well maintained, with no huge cracks or potholes to dodge, and the traffic flowed along easily. Again, quite a stark contrast to DC, where the roads are crumbling, the engineers who designed them must have been drunk, and every major artery is constantly clogged. It's as if rush hour never ends.

-- And probably the biggest one for me: The people are so much friendlier back in Michigan. They take time to smile at you and say hello. We had to visit a UPS Store one morning, and the clerks were the most helpful and cheerful we'd seen in a long time. Customer service doesn't exist out here. People are just surly and rude for the most part, and store clerks treat you as if you're wasting their time, not as a valued customer.

And people in general just seemed more courteous and friendly. They could have been sour and miserable, considering the lousy economic situation, but most people seemed to hold their heads high and remained generally optimistic -- maybe because there was a sense that they were all in this together, and together they'd persevere. You also don't get that out here in DC, where there is no shared culture to speak of. The population is too transient. To most people, this isn't really "home," so it's hard for a shared culture of any kind to form. Part of that also comes down to the TYPE of people DC attracts -- high-strung, career-driven ladder climbers. Not your average Midwesterner who's content with a decent job, a fair wage, and a nice, sensible house.

-- Oh, and how could I forget? MEIJER. Oh, Meijer, how I miss you.

Anyway, I just wanted to share my observations and try to balance out some of the negativity about Michigan that gets a lot of play around here. It was so nice to be home, among fellow Michiganians again. Times may be tough, but Michigan is still a special place, full of wonderful people. It could be a lot worse.

[jetengineman's wife]

Thanks for helping a Michiganian keep perspective! Some days its so hard to stay positive. Nice post!

[DestinationSeattle]

Originally Posted by jetengineman's wife

Thanks for helping a Michiganian keep perspective! Some days its so hard to stay positive. Nice post!

Thanks! It does bother me to see the economy in such a shambles back home, but Michiganians are tough folks. I have a feeling they'll tough it out and see better times ahead. Had I not been downsized out of my own job, I'd still be back in the Mitten, hanging tough with the rest of you.

[MainStreet]

I love that you picked up on the "pace" of midwest living. The feeling I've always gotten from Michiganders, they live like it counts.

Michigan? Have I told you I love you lately?

[DestinationSeattle]

Originally Posted by MainStreet

I love that you picked up on the "pace" of midwest living. The feeling I've always gotten from Michiganders, they live like it counts.

Michigan? Have I told you I love you lately?

Yay! ::clapclapclapclap::

I'd almost forgotten that I function at that pace ... which is why I feel so out of place in high-speed, nownownow DC.

[redwingsfan19]

Originally Posted by YoAdrian

Thanks! It does bother me to see the economy in such a shambles back home, but Michiganians are tough folks. I have a feeling they'll tough it out and see better times ahead. Had I not been downsized out of my own job, I'd still be back in the Mitten, hanging tough with the rest of you.

Same here Adrian. If it wasn't for my job and the jobs of 1,000.00's of others that are being sent to INDIA AND CHINA, we still be there back in the Mitten.
Sure, the winters were harsh but the SUMMERS, FALL, SPRING!!! and the lakes and yes we miss Meijer's and JOE RANDAZO'S. Here in Wichita Ks. there is no place to go buy "cheap" fruit and veggies, but at least I am back working again, the roads are in good shape, economy is good, housing is kind of cheap. YES! folks you don't know what you have till it's gone.
Maybe some day we'll be back home
Go Red Wings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Bydand]

Can echo the sentiments here as well. Came out to Maine to help family from the Ludington area, and we miss the Lake, beaches, schools, cost-of-living, and general attitude toward life there. Who can argue that the seasons are some of the best overall in the entire country? Sure some places have a better winter (either more or less snow and cold depending on your idea of a good winter), others have a better Spring (earlier and shorter), while there are better Summers... (Nope, can't give that to anyplace else ), and the Fall, while fantastic, is too short lived. But there is no place that has it all like MI has.

I have been all over this country and for me and my family the pace of life, and the attitude toward life on the West side of Michigan cannot be beat. Spent almost the entire month of Aug. back there and personally can't wait to get back for good this Summer. (Wife is an ER nurse and I'm an Electrician, people are always sick and they all want to turn on light at night, so we can go anyplace we want. MI is what/where we want!)

While everybody complains about the winters in Michigan, it all depends on where you are in the State. Sure you can complain all you want while in K-zoo, but don't complain too loud to somebody from Marquette, they'll laugh at you. Same as Ludington area, we haven't had a "real" winter in many years. I remember as a kid Mom and Dad warning us not to play on the banks by the road because it put us too close to the power lines, and digging tunnels through the banks we could walk upright through (Sure we were kids, but still 48 - 54" tall) You haven't been able to do that in 20 years now. Even though winter in general stinks, there is still a ton of things to do, and not a huge rush to get done with it.

[DestinationSeattle]

Originally Posted by redwingsfan19

and yes we miss Meijer's and JOE RANDAZO'S.

We didn't have Randazzo's out where I grew up in SW Michigan, but my wife was from Livonia and loved those stores! There's yet another thing for us to miss about good old Michigan ...

[Bydand]

Never been to a Randazo's but my Mother really misses the Norman's in Gaylord. She used to love prowling around the old store by the old theater, where you about had to claw through the stuff to get to the back of the store. All I could picture was a fire breaking out in that place.

[Cliffie]

Waitaminnit. They don't have Meijer Thrifty Acres in D.C.? That's hard to believe, like saying you can't find a church to attend in Vatican City.