I miss me some home.

Home

Seriously.  At lunch today I checked Twitter and saw a bunch of stuff about a duck spotted by the Grand River with an arrow through her breast and there was an apparent rescue attempt going on.  There seemed to be quite a buzz about it.  As someone put it, even though GR is growing, the duck thing makes it feel like a small town.  That's what I love about GR.  It was big enough that there was plenty to do but small enough that I felt like I knew it pretty well and could get most anywhere easily.  I also love all of the exciting things that are going on there like ArtPrize and the giant waterslide.  I love the LEED Gold Art Museum.  I love love love GR.  The skyline has changed a bit since I moved away, but it will always be home.

Living in Texas is tolerable.  That's about the best I can say about it.  For some reason Texans have this over-inflated sense of self-esteem, as if they're somehow God's chosen people.  Granted, I don't see it necessarily in individual people I run into day to day, it's just kind of in the culture.  NPR runs these Frost Bank ads that really tout this.  One goes something like, "If you want to get something done, tell at Texan it can't be done."  Stuff like that just makes me a bit queasy.  Seriously, are people in this state really all that special?  Are they really so different and extraordinary?  IMHO, no.  They're no better or worse than anyone else.  The main difference is that they seem to think themselves better for no discernible reason.  And then there are things like the recent controversy regarding the Board of Ed changes to textbooks that actually make Texans look extra-ignorant and backward.

I guess my reaction to all of this Texas jingoism is to tout how much GR means to me.  I mean, really, what's wrong with the rest of the country, the world?  What's wrong with Michigan?  What's wrong with the people I grew up with and love?  I love people here, too, don't get me wrong.  The place and people I came from are just as good.  I love Michigan and Grand Rapids and am darn proud to hail from such a place.  I miss it terribly.

Frederik Meijer Gardens

Grand Rapids Art Museum

Meyer-May House

Festival