{"id":9104,"date":"2013-05-10T22:00:56","date_gmt":"2013-05-11T02:00:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/capitalcitiesusa.org\/?p=9104"},"modified":"2024-12-04T17:51:50","modified_gmt":"2024-12-04T22:51:50","slug":"love-what-youve-got","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/capitalcitiesusa.org\/?p=9104","title":{"rendered":"Love What You’ve Got"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"10<\/a>Linda Burton posting from Springfield, Illinois <\/i>\u2013 I woke in Indianapolis today; from my room overlooking the city I watched the sun rise in the morning window-sparkle of downtown skyscrapers. I sleep tonight in Springfield; outside my room a single tree somewhat blocks my view of the long-haul trucks in the parking lot, waiting for daylight to hit the road. Though both cities are the center of government for their state, they are very different in style. Indianapolis (pop 829,718) thrives on the adrenalin of sports; speedways and stadiums dot the landscape, surrounded by the accoutrements that accommodate large crowds; restaurants of every ilk, high-rise hotels, taxi cabs. Stand and cheer! Springfield (pop 116,250) is Lincoln\u2019s land; everywhere is evidence of the quiet reflective man who lived here, is buried here. In Springfield he practiced law; in Springfield he campaigned to become president of the land, though when he arrived he didn\u2019t have money to even buy a bed. Inspiration of a different sort; such is the way of the Journey Across America<\/i>, now 60% complete (stand and cheer!). Today I claim 30 capital cities as my home towns; for the last 443 days I\u2019ve experienced life with big-city bustle, and small-town charm. I\u2019ve seen mountains and \"10<\/a>valleys and rivers and lakes, fishing and farming and mining and making things, fresh air and fresh food and history and her story, progress and dropping back and growth and decline, sun belts and bible belts and rust belts and no belts at all, just space. Or congestion. I knew capital cities would be interesting; I had no idea how such a mix of lifestyles and scenery and climate would affect my sensibilities, and begin to explain the world. It\u2019s not what you\u2019ve got that matters, I\u2019ve discovered, it\u2019s how much you love what you\u2019ve got. <\/p>\n

What makes a place feel like home? Why do people care about their community? How does a city blossom and grow?<\/p>\n

Just yesterday, in the local hardware store (I was looking for potting soil for the cactus plant), I asked the young man who was assisting me: \u201cWhat do you like about Indianapolis?\u201d His eyes lit up as he quickly answered \u201cthe bicycle paths!\u201d He described the routes to me; when I pulled a map from my pocket he began to point to parts of the city I \u201cshouldn\u2019t miss.\u201d The Scottish Rite Cathedral, built by Masons, wonderful architecture; the Creation Caf\u00e9, right on the canal, have lunch on the patio and watch the boats; the City Market, oh, don\u2019t miss THAT, fresh produce, food stands, it\u2019s really the heart of the city. He would have kept talking, I believe, except someone called for a propane tank; he had to go but I could feel the pull of enthusiasm as he walked away. It\u2019s not like that every time; once in a while I\u2019ve received blank stares and the mumbled reply \u201cOh, there\u2019s nothing much here.\u201d What makes the difference?<\/p>\n

Sometimes it\u2019s something as simple as convenience, and prettiness. If your city streets are potholed, if the traffic backs up for miles, if the parking doesn\u2019t exist, if the signs don\u2019t explain, if the garbage doesn\u2019t get removed, it may be more pleasant to stay home with the TV. Who wants to wade around in ugly? \u201cThere\u2019s nothing much here,\u201d you sigh. But no excuses! There is a vacuum cleaner commercial that\u00a0tells you in no uncertain terms Life is messy. Clean it up!<\/i> I say If it\u2019s your community and you don\u2019t like it, fix it up!<\/i> \u201cIt takes vision,\u201d Deborah commented as we rode through the bluegrass hills around Frankfort on the horse farm tour. \u201cYou have to see beyond problems and focus on the possibilities.\u201d Wise words; I\u2019m sure CCUSA Board Member Bob Jacobs agrees. \u201cCitizen involvement,\u201d he\u2019ll tell you in a flash, \u201cis imperative.\u201d I remember the day we walked through the park by Olympia\u2019s Capitol Lake; he stooped to pick up a piece of trash from the green lawn without thinking as he pointed out the features of the beautiful community spot he\u2019d helped to develop. Love what you\u2019ve got.<\/p>\n

The last five capital cities I\u2019ve lived in (and loved) were:<\/p>\n