On a recent road trip from Detroit, I caught a news report on the radio that announced Michigan is looking to change its catch phrase from "The Wolverine State" to "The Great Lakes State," and so I began to let my mind wander if this is truly the best we can come up with.
With apologies to U of M fans, we can certainly do better than The Wolverine State, since our state's last live specimen reportedly departed for the Great Forest in the sky last March.
I like the water idea because we are surrounded by the Great Lakes, but other states and our friendly neighbor to the north have some claim to these vast bodies of water as well.
So as the ribbon of road rose up before me as I drove (almost hypnotizing me, I might add) I thought about whether we should be content with just describing what we are. Maybe we should also try to capture of little of what we want to be, too.
It's risky to use any label that indicates some kind of pledge. Look no further than the boner that the state of Michigan pulled by naming its scholarship program for high schoolers as "Promise" money -- just to have it evaporate when funding got tight.
Still, it may be fitting for our state to now pick something hopeful and not just something obvious. We are after all a state committed to innovation in so many areas.
We selected the name of this publication -- Rapid Growth -- a few years ago with just as much eye to where we wanted to be as much as where we were.
So for the moment, all I can do is put it out there and say, "Let's look at some options as well as the obvious" when creating a new buzz phrase for the state. And I think I've got a good way to tell if the motto will be snappy enough. Let's use the "shot glass" test.
What catch phase would be worthy of getting plastered on the side of those shot glasses you find at truckstops that pepper our fair state? I'm sure Gov. Granholm would be interested to know, and please send her your ideas with my compliments.
In closing, this week's entire line up of entertainment is dedicated to the music scene of Grand Rapids. Congrats to all of those artists who continue to help define this community as one of the most welcoming cities for music.
The Future Needs All of Us (to be adventurous).
Tommy Allen, Lifestyle Editor
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