Love Note #15: Your story will eventually be the envy of cities that have fallen on hard times

Name: 585

Years in ROC: All of em

Current home: Swedge

Dear Rochester,

You’re without doubt the most underappreciated girl I’ve ever met. Your personality is second to none, undoubtedly a consequence of your perpetual under appreciation.

You’ve remained standing after your largest employer has virtually vanished in a single generation.

You’ve endured the most offensive and undeserved negative commentary by your own residents and those from other cities who feel some sadistic need to put you down.

You’ve been to hell and back and stand to fight another day, another year, decade, century. Your future is a question mark.

I am overwhelmingly confident, however, that your future is blindingly bright.

You’ve taken more blows than most cities have and will ever know. Beyond that, you’ve withstood these seemingly endless assaults alone.

Unlike your neighbor to the west, which has been showered with billions (literally) of cash, you have quietly stood by, fighting an arguably unwinnable fight with few allies.

Your informed observer is likely aware that your bleeding has come to an end because quite simply, there is little left to take from you. You have experienced profoundly awful days in recent memory. Those days, if not already gone, are nearing their end.

What remains is a city with a proud past and a future that will reveal a renewed Rochester, filled with more pride than its ever known.

Rochester, your future is not defined by the success or self-induced failure of two or three companies. Rather, your days, years and decades ahead will reveal a city with incomparable will. Your story will eventually be the envy of cities that have fallen on hard times.  

Without outside aid, you’ve saved yourself from disaster. What’s more, you’ve paved the way to your own unassailable success story without a compass.

You still have a daunting list of complicated issues to work though. While all of your admirers are painfully aware of each of those issues, we are even more aware of your perseverance and stubborn unwillingness to fail despite astronomical odds.

You’ve been through more than you deserve, Rochester. Fortunately, all of us admirers, secret and known, will continue to support you by playing whatever role we can to help see our beloved home through any tribulation. You’ve more than proven that you deserve our unwavering and unconditional loyalty, love and sheer admiration.

Love always,

585