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The City of Pittsburgh owes it's success in part to the sacrafice that me and countless others made some decades ago, when we forwent our heritage, our past, our history and sometimes our families, and moved on to greener pastures where we COULD make a living. Most of us left with some regret, for it was a choice made for us not by us. Had the oportunity existed where we could stay and enjoy the bounty we once knew, well that there was the choice many of us would have made. Sure there is a segment of adventurers that still would have made that move. Those with the spirit of our forefathers, the very spirit of adventure that built the very city we speak of.
Do you think for one minute I'd rather wake up on Sunday Mornings and clamor for the Vikings game? Uh, no not quite. Life isn't like that. Most of us Steelers Fans are still rabid about our team. We follow the Steelers religiously no matter what address it is where we call home. We would rather have the option of going over to our family's house, or a Friends house to perform the ritual which was our rite of passage growing up, to cheer on the Steelers with our closest friends and families. Some were lucky and would be heading down to the parking lots to Tail Gate before the game and head on into the stadium to ehaust our selves in an effort to make a difference from the seats upon the out-come of the game. Oh we are a passionate bunch where our Steelers are concerned.
Yet bunches of us made that ultimate sacrafice. It's one that there is no value upon, can't be calculated in any poll. Yet it is one thing that makes The City of Pittsburgh one of the Country's most Liveable. It is also what binds us together across all the miles. From City to City from Town to Town, we the one's who did sacrafice our past are out there filling up those other stadiums still wearing our Black and Gold. We are the rabid fans seen on the Television making the noise heard around the world, the Unimaginable Steeler Fans that are in Numbers to be held in every region across the world. We still make that noise and Support the Steelers who are still "Ours".
Ok, alright, it's not the only stuff we left behind. It is however one we can all understand. We went away and took with us that statistic - our employment status. We work, not hang back waiting for a Bail Out. We stood firm and did what we had to while the City repaired the damage, reclaimed old buildings and factories - filling them with new jobs manned with New workers, perhaps children of former Steel Workers, or not. We left and allowed Pittsburgh to heal. We didn't become a burden to her, like what we are about to see in Michigan Ohio and Indiana where the Auto Industry is about to be a Bail Out. Those areas are being affected like Pittsburgh was when the Steel Industry collapsed - but we didn't look for a "Bail Out" we survived all on our own. We reclaimed rebuild and re-trained ourselves or we took work else where and moved away from our homes. You won't see that self help happening in Detroit. Nope for many reasons other than the Happless Lions, the Auto Industry who's injuries are as much self inflicted as not isn't about to stand by while another miricale happens. No, Barry O is going to have to find a way to bring some sort of stability to the areas. I have no idea how it will work.
I know one thing, Pittsburgh is Special. We citizens are special. Those of us who left still consider ourselves to be Pittsburghers, no matter how long we've been gone and no matter the likelyhood of our return to the region. The way the City Survived the Collapse of the Steel Industry, the very Industry that Built it in the first place, simply could not happen to someone else. No one is a strong as we are.
A whole lot has happened to get the City to the point where it is now. Some of those old Steel Workers survived with lower paying jobs and are now retired. Some just disappeared all together. Many of us left. The Powers that be brought in a whole slew of jobs that are so very different from what we were used to. The economy of the region is completely different than it once was. The City is stronger and more powerful and it's future is bright.
Never forget who we were, for we played a huge part in it even though we are somewhere else claiming to be Pittsburghers. You can take the people out of the Steel but you can't take the Steel out of the People. I know this to be true. I am one of them.
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