I read this article this morning in the New York Times and Martha just emailed it to me from work. (It's really scary how similar we are at times.) Basically it says that there are a lot of issues surrounding the idea of gentrification in older neighborhoods (typically minority neighborhoods) in large cities across America, issues that haven't been dealt with in the past and might not have even been thought about. Now, of course, there are problems. Aren't there always problems? Martha and I live in a neighborhood that is undergoing this "gentrification," which basically is a big snobby word that means they're just cleaning things up and people are renovating older homes as an investment, bringing new business and positive change, blah blah blah. It's a great concept (usually) and has really helped a lot of areas root out drugs and other criminal activity and has made many neighborhoods safer places to live, even in Denver. However, they're finding that generally the population of these "gentrified" neighborhoods usually evolves into an upper middle class area and ends up pushing all others out, not really benefiting them in any way in the long run. It's like it becomes the cool thing to do (which I have to admit I have seen a lot here in Denver and apparently it's happening along the west coast as well).

So all of this to bring me to my simple point of saying that trendy ideas really bother me. I have been known to be so annoyed at the idea of "following the crowd" that I will simply do whatever it is that is opposite just as I don't have to be lumped in with everyone else. Be original! Think for yourself! Example, Barack Obama. Now, I think I like this man. He has some good ideas, he is very charming, and he certainly knows what to say to sound like a good politician and get the masses and the media in his corner. He is very trendy right now. However, have you noticed that he never really says anything in his speeches? He has a million ideas but he hardly ever talks about how he is going to actually get something done in the White House. All I know to do is to go by his voting record. But he's trendy and everyone loves him so his popularity grows, especially when it's cool to be "liberal," whatever that means.

Now, I'm not supporting Hilary or McCain (I'm not sure we have anyone worthwhile running actually...although I have a theory that Ron Paul has this never-talked-about underground group of supporters that are going to surprisingly turn out quite a showing in November.). I'm just using this as an example, just like it's trendy to wear leggings and drink chai and to be green and organic (once again, whatever that means). And really these things are not necessarily terrible within themselves (believe it or not, I actually own a pair of leggings), it's just the fact that they are simply fads...things that come and go and never really amount to much. For the few people who have actually embraced these ideas long before they were trends and who will embrace them long after the fads fade away, here's to you. Keep up the good work.