Glass Half Empty? Or Half Full?

Twenty-five miles to the south of wonderful Frankenmuth, MI is Flint, MI. I drove through it because it has always intrigued me that the filmmaker Michael Moore grew up in Flint, sat on the city council and did his first movie, “Roger & Me” about his hometown. I thought that someone as passionate as Michael has surely returned, reinvested some of his multi-millions in the town and tried to make his hometown a better place in which to live.

In speaking with several people in Flint, I learned that once Moore hit the big-time, he never looked back and has not tried to help. In fact there is deep resentment that Moore’s first movie painted Flint in a horrible light, one that has been difficult for the town to overcome.

Today in Flint 20% of its houses sit vacant with 33% of the population living below the poverty level. The town could sure use some help, but appears to have been abandoned by former citizen Moore.

I love to find people like Wally Bronner who I blogged on yesterday, people who see the glass as half full and find ways to help their hometown with enthusiasm and love. I’m glad that I don’t have to deal much with the “half-empty” Michael Moores of this world.