Proud? Confident? Excited? Nothing at all?
The latter is my take on how Daytonians view their home.
Let me explain. I told a new acquaintance recently that I moved here from Toledo two years ago. She asked what I see is the difference between the two cities. After a little thought, I said Toledoans think their city isn’t respected, and that they’re almost apologetic when telling others that they live there. A friend the other day told me Toledoans get the impression that others think their city is “lame.”
That reminded me of another place I used to live that had a slogan contest to sum up the community. One was, “Yeah, we know, but we live here anyway.” That slogan didn’t win.
So what makes Dayton stand out among other Ohio cities? In my time here so far, it seems to have an active, creative and performing arts presence. It seems to have a rich entrepreneurial spirit and a thriving focus on innovation – both of which can be attributed to its history, especially where the Wright brothers are concerned.
Speaking of innovation, I learned this, courtesy of the Dayton Convention and Visitors Bureau’s website, in part: “…at the turn of the 20th century, Dayton had more patents per capita than any other city in the nation… The airplane. The self-starting ignition for the automobile. The ice-cube tray, and pop-top can. Yep, they were invented in Dayton.”
Despite all these positives, the city doesn’t seem to benefit from people here singing its praises. One exception is the “Dayton Strong” reaction to the mass shooting in the Oregon District in August 2019, and included the response to the tornadoes on Memorial Day that year.
Let’s revisit this. These were two horrific events that galvanized locals into outpourings of grief, then resolve. These make a community, well, strong. And worth talking about positively.
In my early days here, the Dayton Arcade reopened, refurbished into a modern, attractive interior that spoke volumes to me about a community that treasures its historic buildings.
Then there’s the Dayton Peace Agreement, commonly called the Dayton Peace Accords, reached in November 1995 at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and ending the three-and-a-half year long Bosnian War. That’s something to be proud of.
Still, I don’t have a sense of what Daytonians think of their city.
When friends in Toledo ask how I find Dayton, I mention the arts, entrepreneurship, and innovation. In thinking about this, the Dayton Strong resolve and the Peace Accords come to mind – I’ll add that to the list when I answer.
Dennis Bova is a freelance writer living in Beavercreek after a 42-year newspaper career.
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