I Heart Macon...

 I just got back from an official "i heart macon" event. Yes, I meant for those words to be in all lower case and yes, we actually have a day to celebrate our city.

Some of you may find that odd - but it happened.

My hometown has.. well.. sort of a bad reputation. Sure, the crime is high, and yes, there is a limit to shopping experiences and some multi-cultural experiences. However, there is a whole lotta good, and that was what today was about.

I could honestly make a list of at least 50 things that are bad about Macon. Probably like I could make a list of 50 bad things about my family, or my job, or anything else for that matter. But on the other hand, I could write 50 or more even better things and that is sort of what today was all about.

For fun, I thought I would challenge myself. I wanted to actually make a list of the ten BEST things about Macon. 

1. I heart Macon because... there is SOMETHING going on every. single. night. Seriously! Macon tries really hard to offer things to do. You only have to look! I recommend Ovations365 or the Macon CVB website or pick up the 11th Hour. 

2. I heart Macon because... one word - (technically two) THE ARTS. I have visited most major cities up and down the eastern seaboard, and I have YET to find a city more compelled to not only support but celebrate the arts. When I moved away, that was one of the biggest brags I had on Macon. You will not find more artists/musicians/actors/vocalist/writers etc. per square capita as you will find here! It's wildly inspiring.

3. I heart Macon because... of the MUSIC heritage. Did you know that Otis Redding, Little Richard, The Allman Brothers and sooo many more grew up here? Ever heard of Capricorn Records? Are you a fan of Jason Aldean? If you even attempt to learn about our rich musical heritage, you will only begin to scratch the surface. 

4. I heart Macon because... of the food. I love Nuway hot dogs. I love Polly's La Mesa. I love H&H. I love Roasted. I love Dolce Vita. I love Papouli's. And sooo many other local favorites. Some of these are hidden treasures, but those from here.. they know.

5. I heart Macon because.. it is close to great places for a get-a-way. We are an hour or so from Atlanta. Two hours from Savannah and the Atlantic Ocean. Two hours from the North Georgia Mountains. 3 1/2 hours from the Florida border. Not far from Chattanooga or Birmingham or Charleston. I can get to New Orleans in 8 hours, and I can even make it to the tip of Key West by the time you get off work, if I leave really early in the morning. 

6. I heart Macon because.. of the amazing loyalty to this place. I have never met more people who are absolutely passionate about this small city.

7. I heart Macon because.. of the rich history. The architecture. There is nothing like walking down a cobblestone street that has Spanish moss draped from the oak trees, or strolling past the antebellum homes. Greek Revival and Southern Gothic vibes all around.

8. I heart Macon because.. it is always changing. From the revitalization that was just a good idea 15 years ago, to seeing the definite improvements upon moving back.

9. I heart Macon because.. I will get to be a part of it's "coming out" party to the African American community in the nation. Once our museum - the Tubman African American Museum is completed, people all over the nation will hear about this enormous institution.

10. Finally.. I heart Macon because... I was born and raised here. My family is from here. My friends live here. It's home.

Why do YOU love Macon?

PS - Some of my favorite people at the i heart macon event:

Me, Stephanie (Marketing Director from the CVB) and Steven (Downtown Visitor's Center Manager)

Me with one of our interns at the Tubman Museum. Kelsea attends my alma mater, Georgia College & State University and is a Public History major.

Jonathon (Communications Director of the Macon Arts Alliance) and Jeff (the Curator of the Tubman Museum.)