His is a story about changing downtowns, factory workers, soup kitchens, small talk among strangers, the reminder of Sweetest Day, and people who want to scream and don't.
Detroit right now feels like a lot of us. An ember of hope in the midst of dusty dreams yet to be. Of unemployment numbers in the midst of personal loyalty. Roots and perseverance. What Detroit has, is what many of us need.
Detroit hasn't given up, in spite of all the reasons things have been tough. It's like the rest of us that way. Too many news broadcasts with nothing but negative have filled up our evenings. Too much uncertainty in these times caused constant worry and fret for ourselves, our families, and each other. But the people of Detroit haven't given up.
They hang on for the same reason all of us do. They remember when things were better and know it can be again. Its people recall the glory days of not so long ago. A time when people made things and no one even heard of something called a "service industry" because the very word industry meant something else. It meant something more.
Detroiters don't leave, don't quit, and don't give up. They have lived through the best and now they're living through the worst. Moreso than many others. They stick it out because they know their neighbors and their neighborhoods. They're family. They like where they are and they know who they are and they have faith in what they know will come to be, sooner or later.
In spite of all the bad jokes and all the bad times, they haven't given up. Mitch Albom writes beautifully of the reasons that Detroit is more like every corner of this country than anyone will ever admit, without ever pointing it out.
When this country regains the faith that Detroiters have, this near-depression will go away and this life will get better for all of us. Everyone knows that this country has been through an awful lot of bad in the last 8 years and maybe much longer than that for some. But the people in Detroit still have a stubborn faith in a future that will be better for their kids than they've seen for themselves.
Take a minute to read Mitch Albom's article on the courage of Detroit. He could have written it about a thousand towns in this country. Maybe even your's. It'll give you hope to realize that in a town that has taken it very hard, there they still hope.
This probably all sounds strange, coming from lawyers who fight with the Detroit Big 3 all the time. But it's sort of a family fight. Believe it or not, we love cars. We just want them to run right. Until they do, we can wait and argue with the Big 3 every time a new client comes in with one that doesn't run right. We still have faith that someday they will. Until then, we'll just keep arguing.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Known nationwide as a leading Lemon Law attorney, Ronald L. Burdge has represented literally thousands of consumers in "lemon" lawsuits and actively co-counsels and coaches other Consumer Law attorneys. From 2005 through 2018, attorney Ronald L. Burdge has been named as the only Lemon Law Ohio Super Lawyer by Law and Politics magazine and Thomson Reuters Corp., Professional Division. Burdge restricts his practice to Lemon Law and Consumer Law cases. The Ohio Super Lawyer results are published annually in the January issue of Cincinnati Magazine. Ronald L. Burdge was named Consumer Law Trial Lawyer of the Year 2004 by the National Association of Consumer Advocates, the nation's largest organization of consumer law private and government attorneys. "Your impact on the auto industry has been magnified many times over because of the trail you blazed for others," stated NACA's Executive Director, Will Ogburn. Burdge has represented thousands of consumers in Ohio, Kentucky and elsewhere since 1978 and is a frequent lecturer to national, state and local Bar Associations and Judicial organizations. Burdge is admitted to Ohio's state and federal courts, Kentucky's state courts, and Indiana's federal courts. Other court admissions are on a "pro hac" temporary, case by cases basis.