Get Out of Here

If you search the archives of Blog-Lebo comments, among several regular themes you'll find this one: Stop whining. If you don't like the way that things are in Mt. Lebanon, then move away. Sometimes the theme is expressed by long-time residents of Mt. Lebanon who are skeptical of any effort to (change) (improve) the town (take your pick of those two words!). Sometimes the theme is expressed by new arrivals who picked Lebo because it's a special place, and they see little reason to upset their new apple cart.

You won't find that theme among the posts, because I (speaking only for myself) find that attitude just bizarre. Yes, Mt. Lebanon is a terrific little town. As I've written myself here over and over again, it's a great choice for families and even young professionals moving into the Pittsburgh region or moving out of the City. Yes, I know that there are a lot of long-time residents in Mt. Lebanon, and many families that have been here for multiple generations, and I know that they care passionately about Lebo and its history and its traditions. Yes, some folks get over-invested in personal melodramas that don't affect the town's quality of life (or schools, or business, etc.).

Like any suburb, Mt. Lebanon is far from perfect, and some of its flaws have gotten a lot of public attention in recent years. But complaining about complaining -- telling people to move away if they don't like something about the town -- is mean-spirited. It's bad for Mt. Lebanon. Very few people are able to pick up and move easily and quickly, and very few people want to. My sense is that most people in Mt. Lebanon like the town a great deal, and that many people -- including many of those who comment critically on this blog -- are working as hard as they can to make it the best place they think it can be. Mt. Lebanon is very nice, but it is *not* the best of all possible worlds.

The "move away" comment is not usually meant seriously. It's meant metaphorically, to discourage the criticism. That's backward. Encourage the critics! (Though don't encourage their melodramas.) Don't send them away. You want to sell those unsold houses? Attract newcomers? Don't turn Mt. Lebanon into Stepford. Show the world that Mt. Lebanon has the self-confidence and intelligence to discuss its future publicly.