A Love Letter to my Hometown

A colleague and friend had asked me if I would be willing to write up a little article on Iowa for her organization's newsletter. I had the option of writing anything I wanted about living in Iowa or Des Moines and that really got me thinking. When I was younger, I wanted nothing more than to get out of this city, and this state. I was sure that I was missing out on all the excitement of living in a big city and constantly complained that there was nothing to do.

Over the years, as I've spent time in some of the larger cities, I've realized that Des Moines is actually a pretty nice place to live. There is constantly something going on but without the price and hassle of a big city. I can take in a baseball game for less than a movie. Now sure, the players don't play in the big leagues, but an afternoon at the ball park is really what baseball is about for me. I can check out some incredible world class art for free at the Des Moines Art Center or spend a day at the zoo checking out all the animal life.

The restaurant scene here in Des Moines has finally grown up. Working downtown (20 minutes from my house) I'm surrounded by great restaurants that don't take hours or reservations to get into. Good sushi, no problem, and without the high prices of other cities. Great variety, certainly. A New York Times article during the recent presidential campaign said that Des Moines had one of the best restaurant scenes in the country for a city this size. Per capita, we eat well.

But the big thing that I love about this city is that it feels small in many senses. I'm not constantly overcrowded. I can go walking on any of the numerous trails in the city without running into a lot of people. I can eat in any of the restaurants in town on a Friday night without more than an hour wait. I can get anywhere in town in 20 minutes or so. I live in a very nice neighborhood at a very affordable price. And there is more than enough to do. I can take in live music pretty much every night. I can shop at a farmer's market every night in the summer. But more than anything I can live well at a reasonable price. I love this city. I've gone from feeling like I'm missing out to realizing that they only thing I'm missing is high prices and hassles. This is a great town and this week I'm remembering that.

For Alissa

It's funny that I'm writing this post for my sister Alissa. Not surprising since it is her birthday today but surprising because she doesn't read my blog. Then again, my parents don't read my blog either. I'm not sure what that says about me. Frankly, I'm not sure I want to explore that line of thought. Of my immediate brothers and sisters, only my little sister Em reads this. (Thanks Em)

So this is for my older sis, who'll probably never read these words. I always wanted to be like you. When I was younger my sister was my idol. I wanted to be her. I wanted her devil-may-care attitude and her ability to get along with almost anyone. I wanted her innate sense of style and her outgoing nature. She's always seemed to be surrounded by friends and been well-liked by pretty much everyone who knows her. She's been courageous, living on her own terms, making her own mistakes. And I wanted all that. I myself was shy (painfully so), gawky, and kind of a dork. I've worked through some of the shy but I'm still a dork. I'm lucky I can dress myself in the morning some days. (my sense of style lacks something...oh yeah, style) But I learned a couple tricks from my sister. I've learned to love strong black coffee and black as a clothing choice. I've learned that style may be innate but it can also be borrowed (I've stolen so many clothing and decorating ideas from her). I've learned that family is stronger than friends. And I've learned that we all need to grow up to be who we are. We are born and raised in a family. And we grow up to be completely different people.

My sister's going through kind of a rough time right now and I've been trying to be there for her although I'm not always great about keeping in touch. It's been hard to watch her lose some of the confidence that she's always seemed to possess. I'll see her tonight for dinner. It's a family tradition. We'll spend some time together with my parents and hopefully my sister. And hopefully, at least for tonight, we can remind her of who she is. Who she's been. The three of us sisters may look alike, but we are different as night and day. I've come to terms with the fact that I'll never be as popular as my older sister, or as independent as my younger sister. But when you put us together, particularly in the kitchen for some reason, we can laugh until we cry. We compliment each other, me playing the straight man to their comedian. I'm the more serious of the three (and sometimes the oldest). So for my big sis, I love you. May you always be that strong, confident person that I know you are inside.