By Charles Thomas
Guest Columnist
If in the past, you have dreamed about what Lima could be or hoped to be, then your dreams are coming into focus — filled with the fruits of your dreams, dreams of joy, happiness and brotherhood.
The transformation is real, though now is certainly not the time for dreams to be concluded and a proclamation that the mission is complete.
Downtown Lima is unrecognizable to anyone who hasn’t been around in the past decade. New buildings are going up, and old ones are being reborn with new life. Those are the structures that give a city its own identity and charm.
The identity of any city is of vast importance, but it is the people who comprise the heart of the city. Not enough positives can be stated about those who have invested in this downtown revitalization.
The man driving the ship of change doesn’t do it to see his name on every street corner or in front of each structure. He does it because he cares about the city. If you care half as much as he does and are OK with the status quo, then perhaps a self-inventory on the purpose of your existence is in order.
A dream, however, is not real and complete if it doesn’t feel the heartbeat of everyone living within the city that walks past those bright and shiny new buildings every day.
What is your final dream for this place we call home? What kind of community and city do you envision? What kind of reality and legacy do you want after we have moved on to a better place?
I want to see a collaborative spirit, a more inclusive spirit, in which all people can thrive in an atmosphere where kindness goes viral. Rather than people running from diversity, they celebrate it because those are the communities that stand out and above all the others.
Common goodness is not that hard to achieve because we are born with it. Somehow in our growth between here and there, we lost our way. I say that because many times I have written about the lack of minority-targeted programming in the local radio market, pointing out that between Woof Boom Radio and IHeartMedia, almost 2,000 programmable hours are offered in the local area each week, but only two hours target people of color. Out of all those hours, two hours each week is the only time a minority voice is heard behind a microphone.
If you find that acceptable, then it is likely that you would have found restaurants 60 years ago not serving people of color acceptable as well. Think of the message that is sent out every day, that you are not worthy of something everyone else is worthy of. If you see everyone and allow them to hear what you hear, perhaps they will eventually feel what you feel.
If you have the will to invest in concrete, then I think an investment in the heart pays much greater dividends because the climate for any prospective business is much greater when feelings of disenfranchisement are excluded.
From a historical standpoint, some of us have been told stories of the past about not being served at restaurants, about using back doors or separate bathroom facilities. Some of us have never endured or had family that faced that kind of injustice.
So as we move to a better Lima, and there are signs that we are trending in that direction, can we move our hearts in that direction as well in a more beneficial way for everyone? Instead of dipping our toes into the waters of decency and dignity, can we not reach out to everyone with the calmness of those waters?
On this journey that we are on to remake this city, can we not only honor those newly made old buildings but also give honor to each human being by recognizing the dignity of their existence?
A friend of mine, that I know well, used to close his radio show with these words, “Do your part to make this a better world in which we live. Make it a point to get out and get to know someone that doesn’t look exactly like you look.”
The time to do that is before us in this moment. A better Lima is in the hands of all of us who wish to see Lima be the best that it can be. The act of common goodness has a rebirth just as effective as all those old buildings. So, while we are in this moment, can we leverage our voices, our circles of influence, our common good, to make sure that this city reaches up and out to everyone?
Charles Thomas lives in Lima. His column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Lima News editorial board or AIM Media, owner of The Lima News.
