I will be the first to admit that I miss out on a lot. This is not because I am oblivious or absorbed in my phone. Most of the time I miss out because the world is so busy, I get easily distracted, and I fail to appropriately observe and take in what is around me. I was worried about this happening when I came to Detroit. I knew the city was vibrant, full of culture, and always had something exciting going on, but what if I missed out?
I am happy that this is not the case. I quickly learned that if you are in Detroit attempting to take in the city it is impossible to not experience it. It did not matter that I missed a fact our tour guide shared because I was too busy appreciating the beautiful murals or that my scavenger hunt group spent 20 minutes on top of the Z garage taking in the view of the city rather than scurrying around to get enough points to win. For me, authentic Detroit has come through in the smaller interactions. My propensity to get distracted and focus on specific aspects of Detroit is what has allowed to truly appreciate the city. I did not really feel the “Detroit hustles harder” slogan when our tour guide discussed the city or when the articles I read prior to arriving emphasized Detroit’s drive. It became a reality for me when I talked to a lady at the nail salon about the beauty business she ran on the side, when the crowd at Detroit Demo Days went wild at any mention of the city, and whenever my boss enthusiastically discusses the work TechTown is doing. The bits of the city’s history that really stuck with me were not the facts I learned while reading the Detroit Wikipedia page but the information I learned while playing the interactive games meant for kids at the Detroit Historical museum. The picture below is of something I noticed my first night in Detroit that really stuck with me. The neon letters hung outside the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit compose a message I feel as though the city is constantly telling the rest of the world. It is certainly a phrase that all of us had to say to our family and friends when they expressed concern over our choice to participate in this DukeEngage. Detroit just knows something that the rest of the world does not: the city is strong, its people are passionate, and that everything will be just fine.
I am happy that this is not the case. I quickly learned that if you are in Detroit attempting to take in the city it is impossible to not experience it. It did not matter that I missed a fact our tour guide shared because I was too busy appreciating the beautiful murals or that my scavenger hunt group spent 20 minutes on top of the Z garage taking in the view of the city rather than scurrying around to get enough points to win. For me, authentic Detroit has come through in the smaller interactions. My propensity to get distracted and focus on specific aspects of Detroit is what has allowed to truly appreciate the city. I did not really feel the “Detroit hustles harder” slogan when our tour guide discussed the city or when the articles I read prior to arriving emphasized Detroit’s drive. It became a reality for me when I talked to a lady at the nail salon about the beauty business she ran on the side, when the crowd at Detroit Demo Days went wild at any mention of the city, and whenever my boss enthusiastically discusses the work TechTown is doing. The bits of the city’s history that really stuck with me were not the facts I learned while reading the Detroit Wikipedia page but the information I learned while playing the interactive games meant for kids at the Detroit Historical museum. The picture below is of something I noticed my first night in Detroit that really stuck with me. The neon letters hung outside the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit compose a message I feel as though the city is constantly telling the rest of the world. It is certainly a phrase that all of us had to say to our family and friends when they expressed concern over our choice to participate in this DukeEngage. Detroit just knows something that the rest of the world does not: the city is strong, its people are passionate, and that everything will be just fine.
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