In the five days since I posted An Asheville for the rest of us, I’ve been happily overwhelmed by the response. There’s clearly a real desire to discuss and address the issues raised; of how to create a functioning city for those of us that aren’t millionaires.
One of the major points of the piece concerned the huge number of stories that aren’t told, about what (and who) gets ignored in the perception of Asheville both inside and outside our city. Just after the piece went live, some of the replies also noted a list citing us as a great place for “creative 20-somethings,” one of the populations that has the hardest time making ends meet in this city (unless the article actually meant “trust-fund kids”).
I hope in some small way the Asheville Blade will serve as an antidote to this mess. At its best, when it lives up to even a shred of its Fourth Estate promise, the press breaks the complacent “everything is grand” narratives. It afflicts the comfortable and comforts the afflicted, as a mentor of mine used to put it. We do this because the people who can buy a third mansion or a restaurant chain already have far too many ways to get their views and stories heard. But they are a sliver of a sliver, and in the end, the future of this city — or any city — doesn’t turn on them.
As people reposted and commented on the piece around local social media, I was pleased to see personal stories and actual discussion about leaving Asheville, fighting to stay, facing reality on the ground and wondering about the future. Such talk is desperately needed here, and reading them feels like a breath of fresh air.
So let’s continue this. If you have such a story and want to share it, send it to ashevilleblade at gmail. Keep it anonymous or use your name as you see fit. A few paragraphs will work, though if you feel like more, go for it. I’ll pull together the entries and post them.
—David Forbes