A Welcome Whooshing Sound
I have a fault—well, I have lots of faults and if we’re listing them we can include, “tends to ask six questions in a row without giving a person a chance to answer until the end, forcing a response of, ‘Um. Yes, no, yes, didn’t catch that question, no and 14’” and “always leaves drawers and cabinets open as if she believes if she closed them, the air would get sucked out of the room.” But the fault I’m talking about here is this fault: “likes to brag about Pittsburgh a bit much.”
Which I do. A lot. I hear someone insult my city, and I tell you, the hairs on the back of my neck come to attention all, “PERMISSION TO SHOOT TO KILL, MA’AM?!”
I remember once when my family was on vacation in Texas and I was a teenaged girl playing beach volleyball with my sisters and some teenaged boys, one of the boys asked me where I was from and I replied, “Pittsburgh. You know, where the Pirates are from?” I had to qualify it. I didn’t want to hear, “Pittsburgh?! What’s in Pittsburgh?!”
Of course, at the time, the Pirates were contending for a pennant. Now I’d say, “Pittsburgh. You know, where the Penguins are from?”
Or, “You know, where you can purchase a nice home in a safe neighborhood without selling a major body organ to afford it?”
Or, “You know, where the people are friendly, the museums are world-class, the food is delectable and the libraries are plentiful?”
“You know, the new Hollywood?”
“You know, Forbes Magazine’s 2010 Most Livable City?”
Wait. What?
Yes! It was just revealed that Pittsburgh once again has topped the list, with Forbes stating:
"Indeed, Pittsburgh’s art scene, job prospects, safety and affordability make it the most livable city in the country, according to measures studied."
Go ahead, world, and study the measures, but those of us that make Pittsburgh our home already know how livable it is. The only measure we need is what we witness day in and day out.
Here’s hoping the rest of the world pays attention now. Here’s hoping Google takes note as they select their city to roll out Google Fiber. Here’s hoping that very soon, that whooshing sound won’t be of people leaving the city, but will instead be the sound of boomerang after boomerang flying through the air as those of you who once lived here, yet no longer make your home here, come on back now, yinz hear?
