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| Middletown Community News |
| Middletown’s Image Problems… |
| Thursday, April 10, 2008 4:43:00 PM - Middletown Ohio |
By Ann Mort
Middletown is a dirty, nasty, industrial town.
Middletown people are just a bunch of thugs and hicks.
Middletown has a horrible image.
Sound familiar? For the past 20 years, I’ve been sitting in meeting after meeting listening to Middletonians discussing the horrible image problem we have and how on earth can we fix it? How many meetings have we attended where we list all the good, bad and “opportunity” items on boards and then stick our given quantity of dots on those items we think are most important? Once the meeting is over and the report written, it goes on a shelf to collect dust next to all those other grand meeting reports.
I, for one, have declared a moratorium on “sticky dot” meetings. If anybody whips out any more sticky dots, I’m whipping my buns out of the meeting. I refuse to waste my time on grand plans that never happen.
I suggest we are victims of a self-fulfilling prophesy. We sit around in our meetings and tell each other how bad it is and, sure enough, we have a bad community image.
Do we talk about our home town (or adopted hometown in my case) in positive tones when we are with our family and friends? Do we discuss the many arts and entertainment options we have here in good old Middletucky? Do we talk about the new businesses coming to town? Do we talk about how our businesses have cleaned up our air and water? Nooooo, we talk about the latest political nastinest or what dumb decisions our various leaders have made on our behalf.
I propose that we all try looking on the brighter side of things for awhile and see what happens. If we can brag about something good happening in our town at our next family or class reunion, wear our Middletown shirt when we are on vacation and tell people how we enjoy living here, I suggest that might become a habit worth having.
I was privileged to write articles for a magazine I co-published with Sam Ashworth for 10 years—“Good News”-- later changing its name to “In Town”. One of the most popular regular features was “On The Street Where You Live” a report on the families residing on a street in Middletown– pretty much chosen at random each issue. We reported on streets from all economic and geographic parts of the Middletown area. Never once did I find anybody who did not enjoy living on their chosen street. Sure, they all had struggles but they were living in Middletown by choice. Aren’t we all? Nobody is forcing us to live in this particular town. We are Americans with the right to live anyplace we like.
So, if we choose to live in Middletown—we should all get in the game or get on the bus. Maybe, just maybe, we can all add something to our personal “To Do” list that includes a volunteer or public service for the good of the community. That will give us some personal experience that can be the subject of the next conversation. If we can find a few nice things to say about the town, it just might encourage others to do the same. Maybe that prophecy will be self-fulfilling as well.
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Archived Comments
| 4/10/2008 4:45:50 PM | John Beagle | ...we are victims of a self-fulfilling prophesy. We sit around in our meetings and tell each other how bad it is and, sure enough, we have a bad community image.
You are so right Ann!
There is a bright side to the story of Middletown. | | 4/10/2008 4:55:24 PM | Bill Rogers | | Seems like some people just have to have something to complain about. I was born in Middletown and have lived here all my life, and I've never felt the urge to leave. Every place has their own set of problems, and I don't have any trouble picking out something I like better about Middletown than any nearby community. | | 4/10/2008 4:57:36 PM | Andy Wendt | | Nice post, and I would like to volunteer to hurt the next person that uses the phrase “Middletucky” on this site. | | 4/10/2008 5:00:42 PM | Kyle Thompson | I agree Ann. When all you do is complain and talk negatively about Middletown (or anything for that matter), then your just adding to how bad it is.
Some positive views/discussion on Middletown would do nothing but benefit the community. | | 4/11/2008 9:38:39 AM | Kevin Staples | | Middletown has a lot going for it now that there is a decent council running things. | | 4/11/2008 10:06:37 AM | Anthony Cipollone | | I find perception or image isn't necessarily reality. I grew up in Cincinnati and have heard the disparaging remarks about Middletown and just about every other nearby community but you realize it's intended as humor. | | 4/11/2008 12:09:20 PM | Alex Solis | | I have recently moved to Middletown from the state of Texas and I have lived here for about 8 months. So far I have absolutely no complaints about Middletown apart from the cold weather. | | 4/11/2008 4:51:51 PM | Jeremy | Ann, I agree totally. I have lived in Middletown my entire life, and have to admit I have jokingly refered to it as 'Middletucky' every now and then myself.
I work in Cincinnati, and have occasionally considered moving a little closer to work, but I really don't think I could leave Middletown.
Every city has it's own set of problems, and that won't ever change. I have recently gotten involved in the community and remembered why I love this town. There are plenty of good people here, we just need to try to pay attention to the good things we have, and stop griping about the things we are unwilling to help fix ourselves.
You can sit there and complain about things all day long, or you can jump in with both feet and help fix them. I think people would be suprised at the amount of support they can get whe they focus on the positive things when trying to resolve any issue.
You can be part of the problem, or part of the solution. I don't think you can have it both ways. As for me, I'm trying to be part of the solution. | | 4/16/2008 9:54:58 AM | MJ | The problem with Ann Mort and her crowd that could make a difference they think that Arts and Entertainment is the answer to everything. I can tell you it isn't.
The lastest and greatest art show or festival is not going to solve Middletown problems. Leadership will. Middletown lacks that.
You talk to council about Middletown's image and they say, "what can we do." That is private property. The days of constantly basically begging for handouts fromt he public to get anything done in Middletown needs to end. It is raise our taxes and then each meeting we need more money from citizen donations, we need more free labor, we need more handouts.....every council meeting is the same rerun.
Leadership and enough of the Arts and Entertainment is going to save us as it isn't. |
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