Power Up

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I am an unintentional folkloristic; that is, I have made it my life's work (unintentionally) to scoff at certain legends, proverbs, descriptions, jokes, fairy tales and tall tales and the belief that they are actually facts just because they have been told over and over. Actually a lot of it is nothing more than folklore that has been twisted and exchanged in various themes that all resemble a little truth but mixed with inaccuracies. Let me explain; I am a self taught folklorist who never set out to be one but there can be no denying that I have gone to great lengths to dispel the notions of anyone who doesn't understand or won't admit that I am not always acting out of bias when I challenge and then present evidence that I am right about a certain topic. And since I was raised in the south end of Columbus, Ohio and have chosen to stay grounded to my roots which are now more than 60 years deep I think I have had ample time to study and dissect some of the folklore surrounding these old neighborhoods that lie just south of downtown Columbus. To paraphrase a Will Rogers comment regarding the difference between a Republican and a Democrat, it takes a lot of money to live in certain areas of Franklin County but it takes a lot guts to live in certain areas of the south end!

As I continue to age I become more and more pleased with my decision to stay put instead of looking for excuses to want more than I ever had or to live in an area surrounded by people who might look down their snoots at where I came from, for I have something that no amount of money could ever replace, the satisfaction of knowing that I have lived this long and this happy about where I am. I heard it for years; the folklore that started a long time ago that the south end is just a bunch of old neighborhoods, heavily populated by dangerous people who have less ambition than those who strive for a higher social status. The old houses down here with basements that flood after a heavy rainfall, broken and uneven sidewalks and bumpy old brick streets. Those are facts, and it is true that water does leak into my basement anytime we experience a torrential downpour and the sidewalk in front of my home is in dire need of replacement! The brick street I live on is bumpy but I like it! If it were paved it would probably be even more bumpy because asphalt and blacktop have a tendency to break apart and form pot holes whereas century old bricks are more durable and only bumpy.

My home is far from beautiful and I do not enjoy state-of-the-art comforts and conveniences in it but that's okay because I have what I call retro comforts and conveniences! The same ones I have enjoyed for a lot of years. I am satisfied that I have indoor plumbing and old fashioned light switches that work when I flip them; in fact, sometimes when I turn one of them on I pause a moment and wonder how many times it has been touched by fingers of someone I cared about; my mom and dad, my siblings, my grandmother and all of the friends that have come here since 1958.  That's how long someone in my family has lived in this old house; since then I am the second owner of it, my dad was the first! Yes, it is very old, built in 1907; it is not unlike most of the others on my block or for blocks a few miles in any direction. The old south end; often neglected by the very people who could bring more homes up to code or do more about a crime rate I am not proud of just by paying as much attention to it as they do more proper areas of Columbus. Sometimes it feels as if we are as forgotten as we are neglected by our mayor and our city council but I think that speaks volumes about our character and our fortitude! For those of us who stayed put after the intentional obliteration of what was a very good community oriented public school system that saw neighborhood kids placed on buses and trucked to other parts of town instead of being allowed to walk a few blocks to school, I believe fortitude is understated. Because it wasn't until that happened in the late 1970s when this area really headed in a lateral direction. Prior to that controversial court decision this part of town was safer, if not populated by softer hands and cleaner fingernails, the true working class who struggled here before things got worse than it might have already been for some. The history of this area has been one of tough and determined people for as far back as I can remember and I have no intention of ever being any different from them. It was how I was raised, how I intend to remain, and I guard it with every means available to me.

What some see when they traverse certain areas of the south end is not what those neighborhoods looked like before mandatory school busing; the attitudes of many of the residents who now live in those places is nothing similar to what it was 40 years ago when a different culture existed there. In other words, a lot of what was good about the south end left a long time ago and was replaced by people who embarrass us all. Some choose to be embarrassments but I don't think they define who we are. They certainly don't define who I am or anyone I ever mingled with around here. I know because I witnessed the changes and I have strong opinions that I have never been shy about expressing. To anyone I might meet on the street on any given day I am just another  south side dirty butt but that doesn't matter to me in the slightest. Indeed I joke about it myself and some would argue that I go out of my way to resemble only that! The truth is, I don't go out of my way to look any way, I sort of like it when others underestimate me. What they don't realize is that they have! It may sound perverse to some but I actually enjoy the stares from strangers who see me moseying about and look to be wondering how bad off I am by the way I am dressed or my overall appearance that to them might suggest an old lost soul with little hope. It is as if they believe they have an edge, simply by how they are are dressed compared to what they see when they look at me. Contrarily to what they might think I believe it is me with the edge because I clearly see the image the want to portray and it is probably who they are, whereas they have no idea whatsoever who I might really be. 

What they cannot see is a content man who has already been where they are striving and competing to be in life. You see, this old neighborhood is also heavily populated by people who have a lot, young professionals who have bought into the celebrated history of of our area of town, especially the one that is known and listed in the National Registry as a historic community, German Village. I live as close to million dollar homes as I do to run down boarded up ones. There are as many BMW's and other high-end cars parked on streets nearby as there are hot rods and other rattle traps. When anyone of more means than I notices me they don't see my history, instead they may wonder when I will go away and be replaced by someone who better fits in with what they hope the neighborhood could better attract. What they don't know is there is no more determined advocate for that than me because I rarely show that side of myself! I treat those moments as studies in cultural diversities because that is who we are around here. So it isn't as if I go out of my way to appear to have less going for me than I have, it is more about the satisfaction of not needing to. I am not eccentric but I could understand the perception of someone who might think I am. I guess at times I do deviate from what is customarily regarded as normal or expected behavior or thinking, but I don't do it because I don't know any better or to make any sort of statement, I am who I am by coincidence! What others see or think they know about me is merely what I show them. If you have ever read any of my other published work or if you truly do know me none of that should disappoint you or cause any concern because those who have should be able to find the humor and innocence of this image some might have of me.

I am as humored by those who look suspiciously at me as I am cautious toward those who might appear to pose a threat. I can still fend for myself wherever I am and probably much better than some might believe. It comes about from attitude; something I learned a long time ago on the streets of the south end of Columbus and it is why it is so easy for me to be as passionate and as vocal as I feel I need to be when it comes to discussions that truly concern me. It is where I draw the material I write about and how it was that I found ways all my life to wander in and out circles I wanted or needed to be in. Some of those circles were quite impressive! In short, I power up when I think I need to. South side dirty butt? Perhaps. But there are a lot of us around and no negative folklore about this old part of town can define it in any version when someone takes to repeating it to me. I can name former mayors of this city who grew up nearby as well as city council members, county commissioners, sheriff's and any number of other movers and shakers. The list of world famous athletes is also a long one as is more people from other famous walks of life but that's all irrelevant to what I am trying to impart here. This is about pride of where I am and have always been. It is about people who know exactly what I am talking about and who agree that even though the south end has long gotten the short end of the stick there are still enough of us who power up when we need to or when we want a more accurate reflection of who we are.

The power we all need to show everyone else who we really are lies within the walls of city hall. It is guarded closely by the decision makers whose numbers aren't in the favor of the south end and haven't been for decades. But we can change that by showing most of them the door and replacing them with people who understand that Columbus can be a better a city if neighborhoods like ours that have been neglected are given the respect needed to blow away the folklore of not being worthy of any desire to make them better. It will take more people who can be as vocal as I am willing to be and who can put aside what they think they know about us and pay attention long enough to listen to us and find common ground that works for us all. I have long stressed a need to change how we govern and are governed by establishing wards and finding the right people to represent them; to give neighborhoods more voice to the issues that are important to them. I am a south side dirty butt but I clean up nicely and whether I decide to wear a suit today or kick around in blue jeans and a t-shirt I am confident that my constitution to make a positive difference in everything I do is as strong as it ever was. I hope  what I have shared here is contagious, not just for the people down here but everywhere. Powering up is only a state of mind. All the south end really needs is a little more determination and stronger voices, and I urge those who really care about our heritage and want to see the best of it linger awhile longer to seek them. At least keep an open mind and question that folklore that some believe defines us.