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As I prepare to celebrate my 2 month anniversary of my return home to Rochester, I need to examine if my decision to come home was the right one.
Everyday since I arrived, people have asked me "why would I leave Phoenix to come back to Rochester"? Their tone is usually negative and it's had me a little concerned. They say that both the crime and unemployment rates have reached all time highs, of which I have had experiences with both in this short time. I've lost a good friend, Jimmy Slater to violence and haven't had much luck in finding employment. And to top all of that off, the snow is coming!
The economic situation in Phoenix is much better and jobs are plentiful. The crime rate isn't much better, but you would expect that in a major metropolitan area with a population of almost 5 million people. And then there is the weather - in the 80's from now till May and sunshine everyday.
I attended a tree planting ceremony for Jimmy Slater on Monday. During that hour at the NET Office on Norton Street, I realized that my decision to come home was the right one.
I saw old friends and made new acquaintances. During a conversation with Mayor Duffy (he was still the Chief when I left 5 years ago), he said that he remembered me from somewhere, but couldn't quite remember from where. I reminded him that I attended the Rochester Police Departments Citizens Police Academy. He actually presented me with my course completion certificate and we took a picture together. We also continued our walk own memory lane by talking about different people in the community, old school mates and the guys he used to play pick-up games with. I was impressed that Mayor Duffy still stayed in touch with many and was aware that a man that we both knew had just been in the hospital.
I saw Marisol Lopez, who was the Assistant to Mayor Johnson when I left, but now holds the office of Administrator of the Sector 9 & 10 NET Office. We hugged and chatted for a long time and caught up on things. I was happy to see that she was still involved in Rochester Government and trying to make a difference. I saw Edna Craven - a long time community activist that lived around the corner from my childhood home. I used to play with her daughter Brenda. It's inspiring to see that she still cares about her community and works everyday to make it a better place.
Mrs. Slater attended the ceremony for her son, but made it her personal mission to find me a job while all of these people were in the same room together. She told everyone that entered the room that I needed a job. Needless to say, my resume' was requested by several people.
I say all of this because we sometimes take what we have for granted. We can complain about the state of Rochester, but it is still home. I don't think I would have been able to appreciate it as much as I do now if I had never moved away. There is "family" feel to this town and a closeness that I never felt in Phoenix.
Stop for one minute and count your blessings. We are lucky to live in Rochester and share in all of the benefits it offers. Instead of complaining what we don't have, let's start to focus on what it does have and make it better. Even though I am now a Phoenix Suns fan for life (Steve Nash for President), as Dorothy said in the Wizard of Oz, "there's no place like home".
