- It's a tiny town with parts that have a small-town flavor. Ferguson has a thriving farmers' market. There are some small, independently-owned businesses that have sprung up and are flourishing. There's a large, sprawling park with at least six ball fields and during some seasons and many days, each one is booked with baseball/softball/kickball leagues.
- One of those independent businesses that just celebrated its first anniversary is Cathy's Kitchen (home of the best fish tacos in St. Louis, in my opinion). Cathy Jenkins had a vision, found a property, spent months and months renovating it (it has a Route 66 theme, with countless personal/family connections) and her landlord was so generous, he told her, "Don't start paying on it until you're up and running." They began with just lunch and dinner...and now they even offer breakfast. It's a place where a school superintendent can sit at one table with friends/colleagues and a parks employee--after just finished mowing the fields--sits at another. You scan the crowd and--every time--there is diversity and harmony.
- It's a place of pride. Parts of Ferguson have large, century-old houses; most of the community is full of small, two-bedroom and three-bedroom homes, inhabited by families who love where they live. The yards are taken care of. The parents flock to school events and do everything they can to stay in their neighborhood school because they know the teachers care. The school that is closest to all the heartbreak has a community garden. It has evening events for the families, including fun lock-ins for the students. The teachers have stood outside on street corners, jumping and dancing around, begging for cars to honk to show their Ferguson pride and begging them to stop by for free lunches ...since the start of the school year was delayed by seven school days.
* And if you have not read Wally Lamb's This Much I Know is True, you should. It's an incredible book.
You spotlighted Ferguson and painted a picture of unity and neighborhood pride. I know the area well. My grandma and Bill's mom lived there.
ReplyDeleteSo, did you finally read it? I thought that book was an awesome page turner.
Linda--It IS a place of pride. And yes, I finished the book and thoroughly enjoyed it.
DeleteThanks for that, the news seems to paint a different picture, or paints no picture at all.
ReplyDeleteJoeh--As is often the case, the news is in the business of snagging an audience...no matter how they do it.
DeleteNice to read some positive remarks!!!
ReplyDeleteClaudia--As you well know, nothing is all black and white. Most of life is gray...
DeleteIf the media hadn't swooped in like opportunistic vultures and set up shop for way too long...the out-of-town faction that stirred up violence would have soon lost interest. In my opinion.
ReplyDeleteI checked out that book from the library, but only got through the first page. I did, however, enjoy "She's Come Undone."
Val--I agree. The media fanned the flames over and over again.
DeleteI loved "She's Come Undone" as well--quite surprised how authentic the voice was, since it was not written by a woman. I had just a bit of trouble getting into "This Much I Know is True but once I did, I loved it. It's quite an interesting tale...
that part never makes the news, does it?
ReplyDeleteMama Zen--Nope, 'cause the positive parts aren't sensational and shocking.
DeleteThanks for the uplifting reminder that one bad event doesn't negate all the good, nor is it indicative of an entire community.
ReplyDeleteLisa--You're welcome. It just aggravated me (saddened is probably more apt) when the media helped stir things up and the whole world ended up with the wrong impression about some things...and the right one about others.
DeleteI'm so sick of the bad press. Thanks for giving a truer picture of the area.
ReplyDeleteTammy--I'm sick of that as well. And you're welcome.
DeleteKnow I'm late here but thank you.
ReplyDeleteI think you said everything that needed saying.