There are a lot of us who didn't roar through the 20s or live through the Great Depression; nor did we see the financial impact of two World Wars, nor directly feel the effects of the fuel shortage of the 70s. Despite being born into an 80s era of well-documented excess, those of us in our twenties and early thirties weren't really equipped to understand the preponderance of white bread and orange roughy at the dinner table. For us, this is the first time experiencing an economic crisis first hand.
A recent article in the New York Times magazine by Judith Warner expounded on how the Great Recession has encouraged a greater sense of community, a better natured society; we're helping each other more often, with no strings attached. The article recounted research findings, including a report by Pew Research that found half of the U.S. labor force "had experienced some 'work-related hardship' – a period of unemployment, a pay cut, a reduction in work hours or an involuntary move to part-time employment – since the recession began in 2007;" and data from the Rockefeller Institute found 20 percent of Americans saw their available household income shrink by 25 percent. The study made it clear that the ramifications of the recession are not unique to Cleveland, but the facts didn't specify how difficult the economic downturn has made life for twenty- and thirtysomethings. No hard feelings.
It's important to have perspective. As a young person, it's imperative a great deal of perspective come from those older and (hopefully) a bit wiser than you. (The alternative is to coast through life thinking you know everything until, inevitably, everyone around you realizes your narcissistic blindness has rendered you an imbecile.)
It was in the spirit of cognitive upward mobility that I met with a friend, OhioAuthority contributor, author, writer and overall good guy. A man who has worked in journalism for roughly my time on Earth, and among the many whose opinion I value immensely. He's a man whose passion for the written word and local media is surpassed, it would seem, only by the love he has for his family. I like that.
I explained how many friends had fled Cleveland in a post-collegiate crusade to search for "the" job in a bigger market. Many have since returned. Very few have found their dream jobs. Most, when visiting, are disgusted by the comparatively low cost of living in their hometown. They often "forget" all the places worth sussing out, from bars and restaurants, to landmarks and events. It's a not-so subtle reminder that, despite the hackneyed reports by a new school of bullet-point journalism, Cleveland is a great place to be. At the very least, the employment situation isn't much better anywhere else. Sure, there may be more jobs in [insert name of big city here], but how many of them are relevant, and how many more people are applying for them?
Cleveland has always been a blue collar town, and despite the closure of much industry, my colleague and I agreed that the hard-working ethos is still pervasive. Most of us twentysomethings who've chosen to stay in Northeast Ohio don't quit so easily, blue collar background or not. Perhaps it's naivete, but it's also determination. There will always be lame seeds in the bunch. I hope one twentysomething basketball player won't reflect poorly on all of us.
We discussed the proliferation of young people starting their own businesses, partly out of inspired creation, but also because there's nothing else to do. A community of young, local entrepreneurs has sprouted and flourished. The vibrant seeds have taken root, and have started to spread. It's getting to the point where there are simply too many incredibly talented small business owners, restaurateurs, designers, artists in their twenties and thirties to list them all in one cohesive document.
The Cleveland Clinic, University Hospitals and other medical organizations continue to expand our region's reputation as among the world's premier medical centers. It also creates jobs. Jobs that require extensive education, and tend to pay well. Jobs that provide people with income to invest back in the community as patrons of the arts, local restaurants and more. We talked about the positive domino effect of it all.
While the support amongst young entrepreneurs is laudable,there has been a cadre of forward-thinking men and women, wiser with age, to guide us, help us. Whether or not the camaraderie stems from recession or not, it's moving the region forward. We agreed it wouldn't be easy, though nothing worth doing ever is. With that, we went our separate ways. He, back to his family and work. I, back to running a small business. Both, looking forward to tomorrow.
