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As a child I was fascinated by stories.  I would sit and listen to my father talk for hours about his life and experiences growing up in Michigan.  However, my favorite stories were the ones about Detroit.  He would tell hilarious tales about hitchhiking to Detroit as a teenager to catch a Tigers or Lions game.  They usually involved his buddies ditching him to chase girls, or a chance encounter with Pinky Higgins or Dizzy Trout in the Tigers’ dugout during games.

I loved listening to the details he would give about the city of Detroit.  My father always said his favorite thing about Detroit was the anticipation and excitement he would feel driving in from Grand River Avenue (this was pre I-96).  He would say, “The city lights would glow in the night sky from miles away, and walks along the river were like something from a movie.”  At that time, Detroit was a magnet for the young and adventurous people of Michigan.

Naturally I was curious about this magical city.  Lucky for me I grew up about 30 miles south of Detroit.  My family and I would take trips to Detroit all the time.  I loved going to the Detroit Auto Show in Cobo Hall followed by dinner at Pizza Papalis in Greektown.  Catching a Tigers game to watch Cecil Fielder hit a homerun to left field was another family favorite.

Over the years I developed my own stories and memories of the city I came to know fondly as, “The D.”  It’s the city where my twin had the best bachelor party in the history of bachelor parties.  It’s the city where my Michigan State Spartans beat UConn during March Madness to advance to the finals, and it’s the city where I work and play every day.  Quicken Loans has given me the opportunity to come back to the city I love, but on a different level.  I’m not just a tourist for the day.  I’m an enduring fixture for the summer, and I have a voice in the modern creation of our Detroit.

I’ve come to realize that Detroit is more than just brick and concrete.  It’s a bridge that’s linking the celebrated past with its inspiring future. On one side is a time when Detroit was prosperous and elegant.  The other side contains a new Detroit of style and modernistic thinking.  However, we are still crossing a very long gap.  Below us are times of crime, depression, and neglect.  It’s now more than ever that I think back to what my father said: “The city lights are glowing in the night sky,” and soon they will be seen across the globe.

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