Are Your Neighbors OK? Today We Plant Flowers

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – This past Tuesday, as I was at my desk working on a few things, in a split-second, the sound came first, then the rumble and then my work area, my apartment and the building I live in moved. It moved.

Within minutes, people were exiting downtown buildings to see what happened. At the same time, the city fire and police vehicles came into the area, then county and other cruisers from outside the city, then Mill Creek Park and YSU cruisers, unmarked cruisers, the Hazmat truck from our Vienna airport and ambulances ready to transport those who needed medical attention.

Calls, texts and other media sources lit up. Like hundreds of others who live downtown, people we know, people we work with, acquaintances, family members, life long friends and others flooded the airwaves to find out, “Are you OK? How you doing?” It was amazing that all this happened in the span of 10 to 20 minutes.

Yes it was bedlam, But the methodical and deliberate response to the crisis happened as quickly as the event unfolded. These last few days I keep reviewing all that happened AND all that came together in a matter of minutes. The marvel of human response was there and there quickly despite the bedlam!

As I watched the news accounts and talked with many who called, I soon realized how many folks asked, “Are your neighbors IOK?” Hundreds of people live downtown. When you add students at YSU, there are easily a couple of thousand “neighbors” in our neighborhood.

How quickly I heard people asking about and concerned about their neighbors. Personally, I realized how many of us pass each other every day on foot, on a bike or in a vehicle. We’re neighbors and now our neighborhood will have to pull together to move forward beyond this tragic setback.

The adrenaline and energy to say, “We can take care of each other and we can take care of this situation,” began with the promptness and professionalism of the first responders who descended on Central Square within minutes. As we watched them do what they do, we all realized that they are the first community cheerleaders who remind us what can happen when we put our minds and hearts and energy to work, even for a tragic accident.                                     

The national news showed the several second clip of video (from a neighboring surveillance camera) that captured the powerful quickness of devastation. Sure we would rather see the good news of our communities displayed and acknowledged. But through the dust and debris, the figures that stood out were those who were helping neighbors they didn’t even know.

In the midst of this terrible event, we were reminded that our humanity has a powerful potential. When we see the extra effort like we did last Tuesday, it can help us realize what we can do when the extra effort enables a good cause to succeed or a meaningful event to happen.

As the army of volunteers descends today for the annual Streetscape flower planting, weed-pulling, debris-clearing and general sprucing-up of downtown Youngstown and surrounding areas, coordinator Sharon Letson, her staff and volunteers commented that quite possibly the timing of the annual event made it most needed and more important than ever. In addition, many who volunteer for Streetscape are folks who live beyond our downtown. They remind us that neighbors are not limited to a geographical area.

Thanks to all who are really good neighbors. They are priceless. This very day they are wherever they need to be, helping others pick up the pieces. Natural disasters and tragedies of all kinds can drain us and tempt us to lose hope. Thankfully, there are those who are more than willing to keep our neighbors and neighborhoods OK!

In these last several days, the outpouring of concern and help has been almost overwhelming. Truly remarkable on all levels, comment after comment echoed, “This what you do when neighbors are in need. We’re family.”

Thank goodness and thank God for good neighbors!

Pictured at top: Flower pots in downtown Youngstown await volunteers to plant the flowers during today’s annual volunteer planting event.

Copyright 2024 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.