Stew on That

By Rachel Stewart

May I vent for a moment about something that really grinds my gears? Something I’ve really been stewing on, if you will? Complainers. More specifically, people who complain without having any solutions, or willingness to do anything to fix the thing they’re complaining about. Also, (and I hate this term, but it’s really the only appropriate one) haters. It’s such a weird, foreign thing to me. Don’t get me wrong, I hate plenty of things (including myself most days) but hating on other people, or businesses, is so strange to me. If someone is out there hustling, doing positive things, working on something they believe in (and which isn’t hurting anyone), why you so mad, bro? The people who are like, “There’s nothing for kids to do around here!” Okay, Roberta, are you going to open an arcade? Oh, you don’t have the money? Okay. Have you looked into investors? No? Have you talked to our local business incubators or development authorities, or researched grant opportunities? No. Hmm. Okay. And that complaint specifically really cracks me up, because we could have all of the most awesome things for teenagers to

do, and they’d still probably choose to go park on Snake Road and make out. “We need a Golden Corral.” Yes, Herman, do you have the 2.5 million dollars of net worth (500K in liquid assets) necessary to make it happen? No? Have you talked to investment groups about your buffet dreams? Hmm, didn’t think so. Did you also know that most franchises won’t even consider allowing a restaurant to open in an area they haven’t already vetted, or that shows a decline in population? Did you fill out your census, Herman? And encourage all of your friends and family to do so, Hermy? “Ugh, another chicken restaurant?” YES, Penelope, another person who’s willing to invest thousands of dollars and thousands of hours of their time into our community. ISN’T THAT AWESOME?! Bottom line here, folks — all of these dreams that we have for our city come true, only when people are actually out there doing something, not just talking. So please, for the love of Beyonce, and I say this with the utmost disrespect, stop hating and complaining unless you’re out there being part of the solution.