Opinion
Addressing misconceptions about "Those People"

Since moving to Duluth just over two years ago, I have noticed something at times tragic. There is often a huge misconception about the Hillside area. Why is that? All we have to do is look around and notice a community unlike many others. Unlike the communities affected by urban sprawl, the Hillside has preserved all that seems to be important.

As a morning person,(only on the warm summer mornings, mind you) I enjoy getting up, and walking down any of our tree lined streets. These walks typically include the exchange greetings with those like minded people, often tending to their small but beautiful flower gardens. Sometimes there is the occasional barking dog that will speed my pace up a bit, but what is the harm in that? I see it as “community motivation” in the morning workout plan.We have the unique place in this community in which we truly do not even need a watch, as we are constantly reminded of the time courtesy of the clock tower.

And who could fail to mention the wonderful summer evenings, with the sights of sailboats, lighthouses and the rising of a golden full moon over Lake Superior. These are blessings only found here.But the truth is, the misconceptions about the Hillside have nothing to do with what I have just mentioned. There are those who fear the Hillside and many of the people in it. I have heard people say “Oh I try to avoid that area” or “ Well, I have to lock my car, those people will probably steal it!” Those people? Who are those people?The idea that many people in the Hillside have nothing else to do than simply stand around on the street corner is no doubt one of the biggest misconceptions out there.

Residents of the Hillside are parents, employees, and employers. Many only wish we had more time to visit with friends and neighbors. As a parent, I know personally that with 3 children that is hardly the case. 3 children, 2 schools, our morning starts at 6:00 a.m. and goes non-stop until the younger two are delivered to school shortly before 9:00 a.m. Then the work day begins.

Many of us in the Hillside are proud to be hard workers, dedicated employees, and members of our local churches, and contributing members to our community. Does that qualify us as "those people?"Ok, the reality is this. The misconceptions of the Hillside have been based on truly a few negative events that others have allowed to shape their entire opinion. Yes we have isolated criminal issues that can take the community by surprise. But so does any other community. Yes, we have negative things happen and the picture is not always as pretty as just lighthouses and sailboats.

But, it is how we as a community learn from those events that provide us the strength and knowledge to make our own little corner of the world a better place. So we need to ask ourselves…What is the basis of our misconceptions? Is it a few people on the corner? Is it that one house on the street that looks as if it should simply be torn down? Or is it based on nothing we have actually seen, but heard from others?The Hillside is not without its flaws. Nor is anyone who lives within it. I will be the first to admit that I have made more mistakes in my lifetime than I would ever like to admit. I have said things to people that I should not have, acted on impulse at times and I too am guilty of judging others without fact as a basis.

But I pray every day that I learn from those errors and hope those lessons contribute to me being a better father, and man, and contributor to the community in which I live. I pray the same for this community as do myself, that I am "defined" by the lessons learned and forward progress that has been made as a result of a negative event...not the event itself. I have lived virtually all my life as “the outsider”.

From my childhood years in Ohio, I have always felt that I had to try to overcome the misconceptions of race and social class. The misconceptions of “those people” are in most cases based on a limited number of events. The Hillside is often party to these misconceptions. But let us look at the "other reality". The Hillside is a beautiful place to live and work, full of social and ethic diversity, and owns a charm all its own. The sense of true community is alive and well, and to see the next generation following the lead of a positive community is clear proof that some of the ideas of the concepts of the Hillside are false. We have thriving businesses, new housing development, parks and community activities...and we are proud to be "those people" Why would others not want to be here?