Finally the homestretch of election season is upon us and before we return a week later, so much will finally be settled.
So what happens next?
At this point, the pundits and pollsters have made many predictions about what we can expect when the polls close on Tuesday, but no one is really saying with a 100% certainty what Wednesday will look like.
So why not take a stab at it here, just for fun?
"Network's" mantra that has spanned many a generation to become a political rally cry for this year's elections, "I'm mad as hell and not going to take it anymore," will probably subside shortly after the election, dropping us right back where we started.
Don't get me wrong, I am not a total cynic about politics (yet), but I also know where I live.
Our history is filled with many history-repeating "gotcha," moments and having lived through a few of them now, I am feel confident saying that for every implied one step forward, there is the dreaded two steps back.
One thing we can all agree on is that starting Wednesday morning, change will be coming in one form or another for Michigan.
No doubt you are scratching your head as you wonder, "Why is an arts and culture editor all of sudden weighing in on such a heavy topic?"
Honestly, given the place that the artist holds in our society, learning to get by with less and being resourceful is what we do best.
The arts don't proclaim to have the answers, but the arts, when they are based on truth, are able to be a reflection of our culture. The arts are the markers of our time.
And the innovation that this state will need more and more of if we are to find a way out is found is not through tapping old ideas that have proven unsound, but though the minds of the creative class who are bringing about new ways of solving old problems.
Rapid Growth has had the opportunity over the past two weeks to address both major Michigan gubernatorial candidates and, no matter which one wins, the hard choices they will have to make will no doubt leave some unhappy.
It is my hope that regardless of who is in office that we, as a people, will learn to step out of our comfort zones of a past that is past and begin to remake a future for all of us.
Yes, it can be done and it will take all of us rallying to make sure the most important work of our state actually gets done.
The days of turning to our leaders to be the solution to our problems are over.
If we are to make this a true recovery, then it will mean all of us need to invest in a recovery by migrating some of the hours that we have assigned to "free time" to "community time." We must find ways to sustain our city, our neighborhoods and most of all, the education of a generation that will inherit the fruits of what we did (or didn't do) as the people of Michigan.
Before you pull the lever, take a moment to look around you and ask, "Is this the future we want to hand down to the next generation?"
This week's G-sync celebrates those changes that are happening around us but most importantly, two events that really showcase where we are and where we are going. Please consider attending the visioning event, "Framing the Future" and the "21st Annual Neighborhood Business Awards."
The Future Needs All of Us (to be a part of solution.)
Tommy Allen, Lifestyle Editor
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@TommyGSync
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