While the Michigan Department of Natural Resources "recognizes that, although highly unlikely, the potential for human-cougar encounters exists," those of us who roam the twilight streets of Grand Rapids know a different story. Encounters are not only possible, they are happening.
And this is not a bad thing, by any means.
Currently, a lot of attention has been bestowed by pop culture on the cougar. The ABC Television program "Cougar Town" is in its second season, but, locally, the rise of the cougar is something we can expect in the years ahead.
In short, they are not extinct.
Last month's G-Sync featured the Downtown Development Authority's "Framing the Future" event with Brad Segal of Progressive Urban Management Associates. It was during Segal's presentation of the "Top 10 Global Trends Affecting Downtowns and Implications for Grand Rapids" that the pieces began to fall into place.
According to this report, women "became the majority of the workforce in 2009," ushering in a new set of core values that reflected a "greater importance on health care, the environment and economic development," creating a cultural shift in our history.
If this trend holds true (and I think it will), then according to Segal, our downtown has been adding businesses that cater to women of all ages. Grand Rapids already is a home for many higher education institutions, showing a sharp rise in attendance by women.
And while I jest about cougars as a tease to get you, the reader, to dive into this week's editorial, I am not joking when I say that this cultural shift reflecting a national statistic about women in our city is a very good thing.
In a world where women run a cultural gamut from welcoming acceptance to downright despicable, medieval behavior in the workplace, at religious activities and/or during day-to-day encounters, it is great to know that the rise and value of women in our city is already happening.
I enjoyed hearing a report like Segal's because it beautifully illustrates that we have become a perfect natural habitat for many of my girl friends to make Grand Rapids their home.
For many females in our city, women's history month has arrived early with this report, and I want to be the first to welcome you to the Century of the Woman. Our city is prepared and proud to participate in the shift from history to
herstory.
The Future Needs All of Us (to run with the Cougars)
Tommy Allen, Lifestyle Editor
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