When I moved to this city 10 years ago, I had no idea of the path before me.
For me, moving to the city meant moving to a place of energy, vibrancy and diversity, which is precisely what I craved from my very steady and standardized West Shore residence.
I wanted the unpredictable. I wanted chic spots and lively public spaces. I wanted to walk down a busy street and hear the hum of talk and the swift footsteps of intention. Every day, I wanted there to be another option, different people and something else to see.
However, once I lived here, I realized Harrisburg stopped being that type of city a long time ago. It had atrophied to a different kind of place, regressing to its provincial origin in many aspects.
There wasn’t the hustle and bustle of much beyond private corner conversations and political machinations. The broken streets were mostly empty, especially at night. The sense of community was primarily based on longstanding associations and family ties.
For a newbie such as myself, it wasn’t easy to be part of this city except in one particular realm—the realm of information.
In that dimension of Harrisburg city living, the arena was vast and open. Few people treaded there and even fewer took what they knew outside of it. Actual facts, truths and reports were not widespread or mass distributed.
So, I set up a blog and began writing about it.
I started going to community gatherings and government meetings. I talked to people and had conversations. I assembled stories, points-of-view and knowledge. I compiled it all and passed it on.
That’s what I’ve been doing for the better part of the past decade in a variety of ways.
Instead of getting easier, it’s gotten harder. It’s more challenging to synthesize the cacophony of viewpoints. It’s trickier to pass them on and spread the word. The multitude channels of communication are disharmonious. Too many people don’t engage and won’t engage. The distrust present after years of neglect is interwoven into the weakened threads that make up the city whole and attach it to the region.
As such, it’s difficult to navigate this place and establish a united sense of pride and purpose.
I’m not the only one feeling this. The most prominent inquiry I get lately is a frustrated plea of, “How do I get heard and make a difference around here?”
Right now my answer is, “I don’t know,” because, as a new year approaches, I’m asking myself this very question, too.
That path I ventured upon all those years ago has brought me to this moment of contemplation, and, like so much of my time living here, my journey seems to align with the city’s. I’m at a crossroads and, I think, so is Harrisburg.
One of the most liberating aspects of the end of a year and the start of another is the time in between to reflect and refresh.
It’s a chance to adjust the journey.
Which direction do we want to go? What are the options and how do we get to a shared understanding of what this city is? What are the practical and feasible means to do this?
Most significantly, how do more people connect with one another and strengthen the bonds that bring together more aspects and parts of this place?
I don’t think we know the answers to these questions right now. Some people may say that they do, and yes, I hear them loud and clear when they prescriptively talk and talk about what should be done. Yet, I see too little evidence of successful implementation in any collectively effective way.
Of course, if you’ve been reading me here in TheBurg for the last three years I’ve had this column, you know I’ve posed similar questions before. I’ve confessed dismay and called for action. I’ve tried to remind all of us that this is a city, a real city. I’ve discussed the fragmented network. I’ve pointed out Harrisburg’s potential. I’ve encouraged us to work together to reach it.
I’ve valued this opportunity to have a voice here, to be able to ask such questions and highlight the issues and merits of this capital city along the river. Part of switching up the journey, though, is switching up the ways I approach my undertaking of helping Harrisburg thrive. Therefore, this is my last recurring article for this publication.
I’m not going away. You’ll be able to find me in the new year still doing what I started all those years ago when I took my first steps into the city and realized I had to do what I could to make this place better.
I’ll just be doing it in new ways.
Tara Leo Auchey is the creator and editor of today’s the day, Harrisburg. www.todaysthedayhbg.com.
