That's Middletown

Sunday Reflection

These days, when I walk around town on weekends I meet people who say, "Did you hear about....?"

I am gratified, and appalled at the things I hear about.  I've gotten some stories out of these tips, and at other times I've tracked rumors to their logical demise.

Everybody talks about this stuff.  When people tell me, they expect me to write about it.  Sometimes I can, sometimes I can't.

Inevitably, when the story is about minor (or sometimes major) corruption, perceived inequities, official insults or police misconduct, the teller of the story usually shrugs and says, "That's Middletown."


That's Middletown?

If I've heard it once, I've heard it a thousand times.  It's as if the expectation of most people I talk to is that corruption, lying, cheating, backbiting and dishing insults is expected.  That's Middletown, eh?

It's a jaded response, that's unfortunately too frequently true, and leads to the a type of cynicism that can't be allowed to fester.

So, what to do?

The next time you tell someone a story about someone in Middletown whose done something good, end it by saying, "That's Middletown."

The next time you talk about a mentoring program, or a soup kitchen, or a benefit for families, or a garden show, or an amazing performance, or a heroic public servant finish your account by saying, "That's Middletown."

And the next time someone tells you about some punk politician who has shaken someone down for a donation, or a city official who has lost his temper and brought down disgrace on the rest of us, or a connected developer who has gotten his way because he's got someone on a string, say, "That shouldn't happen in Middletown."

What am I going to do?

I'm going to establish a weekly "column" called, "That's Middletown," which will explore a story of somebody, or some organization, or some event that established the good in town.  If you've got any suggestions, write in.