Eighty Years Brings New Appreciation for the Beauty of Cleveland

Commentary by Lucille Egan

Even though I was born and raised in Cleveland, it took many years for me to realize how fortunate I am to have lived in Cleveland my whole life. Even though it is a big city, it does not have the hustle and bustle of New York City with crowded streets and sidewalks and the sky high prices. 

Cleveland also does not have the natural disasters like earthquakes of the West or the hurricanes that happen in Florida. I could not imagine not having the change of seasons like we have here in Cleveland. I appreciate the spring that we have; the summers I get to spend by Lake Erie; the winters that make Christmas look so beautiful or my personal favorite the fall when all the leaves change into a variety of colors. Even the people from the suburbs come downtown to see how beautiful it is. 

There are so many interesting places and people in Cleveland. It is an incredible place with so much to offer. I believe the people who have lived in Cleveland their whole lives do not appreciate the beauty of Cleveland until they are older and realize how interesting and vibrant of a city this is compared to other cities.

Copyright Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless Street Chronicle October, 2014