Diamond In The Rough

I needed to come up with a writing sample for the freelance columnist position. They came back with the criteria it will be judged by: originality of thought, writing style and voice, provocation, relevance to magazine's audience, and timeliness. Here's what I came up. Oh yeah I had almost 8 hours to spare with the deadline. Never had that much spare time for any of my legal writing assignments.

Diamond In The Rough

“The problem with Indianapolis is that it tries too hard to be something that it isn’t,” said my friend during our dinner in Fountain Square. Though I politely disagreed with her, I understood some of what she thought. The ‘problem’ isn’t so much that this city is trying to be something it isn’t. It’s more that we’re a city in transition; trying to figure out who and what we are.

The good news is Indy trended up from a decaying Rust-Belt city that rolled up the sidewalks downtown after work. We have a vibrant growing downtown filled with new construction or renovation of old historic buildings. We have an expanding Greenways system slowly crossing the city and surrounding suburbs. Indy has numerous new or expanding museums to visit. We have theaters, small and large, that host plays, music, and dance. We have a growing influx of people from around the world calling Indianapolis home.

I told my friend that Indy’s identity now is the diamond in the rough. We have most of the things that create a vibrant community. You simply have to dig a little bit to find them sometimes. I know too many friends from larger cities such as New York, L.A., Houston, or Chicago who continuously complain about the things Indianapolis lacks. True, we don’t have Broadway, the Magnificent Mile, the Space Needle, or a mountainous vista here. Yet those things alone don’t make a city great. Part of what makes a great city is the support of the people for the things already in the community. People like you, my parents, and my friend should stop watching reality TV and be a part of the outside reality. All of us need to dig a little bit and find the things around Indy that interest us.

Another part of a great city is the community’s desire to bring new things here. I want to see new industries come to our community with different types of jobs so my friends won’t feel the need to leave just to find decent work. I want to see that souped up People Mover be a form of mass transit so I’m not stuck on the interstate during rush hour. I want to see our community go from risk-adverse to one willing to take chances so that we can be a great vibrant city.

I love Indianapolis. It’s my city. I’m proud of the improvements I’ve seen. Upon her graduation my friend will likely go to Houston for a job. Before she leaves I want to show her our diamond in the rough. When she returns I would love to show her the newly polished parts.