Their names aren’t important here, so let’s call them Bob and Jan.
What is important is that they made enough money to retire fairly early in life, and had left their home in the Florida Keys to travel the country, and they had no where to go and all day to get there.
Jan has family in New York State and so the two were working their way up Pennsylvania when they heard about a little town called Waterford and decided to stop.
They would look around the area, stay the night and then head up toward the relatives.
I met them by accident when we stopped for dinner there after golfing in Union City.
By the time I said hello the couple had already decided that their overnight stay would last at least a week.
“I can’t believe this place,” Jan told me. “You have a brand new 100 million dollar convention center, and they’re building a brand new 6 million dollar roller coaster,” she gushed.
“You have eleven beaches, new townhouses coming downtown and Family First Sports Park, too! This has to be the most happening little town we’ve seen so far!”
I looked at her, chin in hand, not knowing quite what to say.
I agreed with her completely, of course, but around here the talk is mostly of long dreary winters and job losses and opportunity lost.
Then she forced me to focus, asking me point blank to assess Erie for what it is.
“It’s the little town that could,” I told her, “but it is also a soul divided, between those reaching for progress and those gripping the status quo as tightly as they can.”
“It is blue collar and Roman Catholic and Democratic.”
“It is sunsets and short commutes and low crime and decent schools.”
“It’s a town that sees the other guy’s glass as half-full and the local glass half-empty.”
“It’s a town that all too often says ‘Why Erie?’ and doesn’t wonder often enough ‘Why not us?’”
I walked away from that encounter with mixed feelings.
I was proud of where I lived but also puzzled.
What can we do to make more of us see ourselves as Bob and Jan do?
Comments (3)
Erie may be nice to visit but to live here is a different story. My husband and I were born and raised in Erie, we are 49 and 54 years old so it is safe to say that we have lived here quite a long time. Starting in 1975 I saw things start to change job wise. In the 30 years my husband and I have been married he has been laid off from shop jobs many times, luckily he was always able to find another job. This time it looks like it will be much different. Presently he has worked at Ameridrives (used to be Zurns) for 18 years. Their contract is up Sept. 20th this year. There was a meeting a week ago and during the meeting it was indicated that there may be a $6.00 an hour pay decrease for the employees, and a $500.00 deductable on surgery. NO ONE can afford a $6.00 an hour decrease and on top of that a $500.00 deductable. Everything has gone up, I don't know how people expect you to make it on these salaries around here. My husband called at lunch and mentioned that ANOTHER shop has closed in Erie, I am afraid this is where Ameridrives is also heading. I hate to say it but Erie has failed us along with many many other families in the area. I know we won't be staying here if my husband loses this job we will have to move to where there is work. There is no way we can make it on 2 full time minimum wage jobs. Erie may have the beaches but you can't make a living on that alone. We need decent jobs!!!!
Posted by Heidi Armbruster | September 5, 2007 5:29 PM
Posted on September 5, 2007 17:29
Scott,
That was a terrific story and very well written. Sometimes it takes a mirror for us to see how we really are.
I think your comment to the couple that Erie is "a little town that could,” I told her, “but it is also a soul divided, between those reaching for progress and those gripping the status quo as tightly as they can.”
It was a perfect and a very simple way to explain our dilemma without the detail. Excellent.
Posted by Jack Tirak | September 6, 2007 4:04 AM
Posted on September 6, 2007 04:04
UPDATE: Ameridrives International has decided to close Dec. 2008. A severance package is being worked on now. First group of employees go in Dec, next group goes in March, last group goes Dec. next year. So ANOTHER shop lost in Erie, Pa. I sure hope there is some government funding for retraining all these employees. Doesn't make any sense to go to college in your mid to late fifties and have a huge student loan to pay back for many years past retirement.
Posted by Heidi Armbruster | September 26, 2007 5:20 PM
Posted on September 26, 2007 17:20