Wednesday, April 04, 2007

There's No Place Like Home (pt.1)



Allot of people ask me what I miss about Detroit and then act somewhat surprised by my answer. After living in Toronto for the last nine years I have finally found my place here and have an active life of friends and fun, a good job that I love and a sense of belonging. I know this because when I am gone for too long I miss it! Yet I still miss Detroit as well. "Why do you miss Detroit, its nothing but burned out buildings, crooks and drive by shootings, I should think you wouldn't miss that?" That line usually gets my pride up a notch and I get annoyed at the miss conceptions people have about certain places, and I repel the notion that Detroit is a little Baghdad!

Detroit is not very sophisticated or cosmopolitan that is to be sure, though we have one of the largest Art Galleries in the world, The Detroit Institute of the Arts, a first class Symphony in the DSO, The Detroit Opera House, The Henry Ford Museum, The Motown Museum and the Wright African American Museum (the largest in the nation) just to name a few... Not what you might expect from an industrial city but again you wouldn't know because the media doesn't play up the positive aspects of the Motor City unless the wings, or Pistons are dominating their seasons. The 2006 Super Bowl was a huge success and really brought allot of people back to the city surprised by its active re-birth. So yeah I miss Detroit, its history, and its dogged hard working determination in the face of economic turmoil... Detroit has pride, and you can see it in everyones face.




So here's what I miss beside my family and friends.... I miss hanging out at the Detroit Electronic Music Festival In May... Many of the who's who DJ's are from Detroit... I miss the Freedom Day Fire Works that we share with Windsor Canada alternating between the first and the fourth of July... The Grand Prix on Belle Island, the Hydroplane boat races on the Detroit River, The Woodward Thanksgiving Day Parade and the Detroit International Auto Show!(trust me you ain't been to an autoshow untill you been to this one!) I miss Allot of the food options ya just can't find in Toronto, Steve's Soul Food, Pirogies from Hamtramic, just about any BBQ joint in town, Coney Dogs or White Castles after the bar! I miss Saunders Hot fudge on my ice cream and Vernor's ginger ale.

Its a simple love affair of 46 years... 37 of which I live there.

There's No Place Like Home (pt.2) I will talk about my new home Toronto.... Stay tuned!

Note: All images and text (not specified) is copyrighted by Christopher Cushman. This site does not specify or denote the sexual orientation of any model and as such please post your comments accordingly. Picture and you tube video courtesy of the Detroit Electronic Music Festival. Portrait of me by Micheal Feetham

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