It has been quite awhile, too long in fact, since I have been able to sit down and actually write something for this dear blog of mine. But nonetheless, no matter how busy I get with school and work and family and friends and, and, and……
No matter what, the city of Detroit and the people working endlessly to make it a better place are always on my mind. Naturally, not too long ago, I got to thinking about why I feel the way I do about Detroit and whether or not what I’m doing here on this little ‘ol blog is even making a dent in the greater scheme of things.
Believe it or not, February 4th marks the one-year anniversary of jdetroit.com. Since that first post (appropriately a Mitch Albom quote, go figure) back at the beginning of 2010, Detroit, and the way people interact about Detroit have drastically changed as new mediums through social media and other avenues are discovered. #Backchannel anyone?!? It has not only been remarkable to watch but it has been remarkable to be a part of as well. I also learned a lot as well, even about the city itself that I didn’t know beforehand.
But, sometimes I wonder, as much as I want to be a part of the changing tide taking hold in the city, how much of a difference am I really making with this blog? I mean sure, there’s Google Analytics with hit counters and such telling me how many people are visiting this place…but I don’t have a blog just to get hits.
I blog because I was, and still am, inspired. I blog because I want to try and change perception. I blog because I want to be a part of something greater than I could ever fully grasp…I mean c’mon, we’re literally trying to rebuild a major American city here.
And even with all those reasons I doubt sometimes. I wonder if my blog is making an impact, if people really are seeing Detroit differently through my eyes through my blog. I wonder if anyone is out there (beside my mom of course) reading this stuff and seeing the pictures and hearing others who feel just as passionately as I do.
I wonder, and I hope…because that’s just what we do here in Detroit.
