Howdy to the blog readers, and my fellow blog-authors. This is my first posting to Detroit-MetroBlog so I thought I’d better make it count by reviewing the last dozen entries to make sure I wasn’t putting in anything lame. [moments later…] Unfortunately for you all, it seems I will be, in fact, the lousiest daily correspondent you have. But on the good side, I usually don’t drag on and on and on…

[peers up at the title… okay… focus…] I was born and raised on Long Island, New York for 33 years. I met my wife online, who told me she lived in Hawaii. After many months and falling in love – she confided in me that she actually lived in Detroit, Michigan and “would I accept the tempting offer to fly out to Detroit to meet in person.” One of the first relationships I’ve had with Detroit was actually how many circuitous detours we took in her car during what would be 22 visits (in 1 year) in order that I wouldn’t actually see the underbelly of this city. Driving mostly at night, with the headlights off and the outside-air vent closed, we’d arrive at NYC style destinations like John King Books, the Eastern Market, and that fantastic antique – architectural salvage shop off Grand River.

In New York (that’s an annoying prelude: “In New York” – a set-up for anyone NOT from New York to ready themselves for some “out-east boasting of something supposedly superior”) you just don’t have to try as hard. Being a residential city, the entertainment (and entertaining people) are just there for the taking. But that’s what Detroit, my mini-New York, was, is, and will be. People are moving back, playing in its parks, and setting up shops. The best part of Detroit is that all the creative people with chutzpah (guts) are among us, to mingle with, to be friends with, and to love. You just can’t do that easily in Manhattan, it’s just too big-and-important and proven.

So here’s to our small-BIG city, which has all of the potential, all of the mad scientist transformation just waiting to explode.