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Davis Young
- Jun 14, 2022

DY: In Just a Few Words (#87)

What a great city!

We spent the weekend in Indianapolis. We had been there once before - that time for primo seats very close to the start/finish line of the Indy 500. That was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, but this time we took in a lot more of what the city has to offer.

So, why did we go back? We were there to attend the brand new WonderRoad Music and Arts Festival, produced by our son and his associates at Elevation Festivals. But, we also took the time to explore downtown Indianapolis, which has all the amenities of a world-class metropolis in a mid-size market. It’s an amazing place. Super easy to get around. You need to check it out.

Right away, visitors discover the city is walkable. Downtown Indy has it all - or at least a whole lot of it - in close proximity. A riverfront state park that includes walking paths, an outdoor amphitheater for concerts, a bridge leading to the Zoo just on the other side of the river, and several museums. A large mall downtown. A beautiful state capitol building. An impressive maze of over-the-street enclosed bridges to get from one place to another without going outside. Plus, a huge number of great restaurants - especially big-time steak houses. Everywhere you turn, there’s another one. We had dinner Friday night at the legendary St. Elmo Steak House. They actually have a 38 oz. cut of Prime Rib on their menu - and, no, I did not order it. That said, I may never recover from my great meal there....

And then there’s all the sports stuff - Lucas Oil Stadium for their NFL team, complete with a dome (hint-hint); Gainbridge Fieldhouse, where the NBA Indiana Pacers play; and Victory Field for their Triple-A Indianapolis Indians (hint-hint). And, to top it all off, right by the riverfront is the national headquarters of the NCAA, complete with the NCAA Hall of Champions museum. To say the least, having the NCAA there has been a magnet for championship competitions of multiple types.

It’s all so well-organized. One great venue literally feeding into another great venue. Indianapolis is truly all about creating memorable experiences for everyone.

But - what really blew me away was the Indiana War Memorial, a huge and tasteful museum right downtown dedicated entirely to the war-time contributions of Indiana citizens, companies and many other types of organizations. Best thing of its type I have ever seen. It’s worth visiting Indy just to see this.

Which brings me back to the WonderRoad Music and Arts Festival. It’s just like the rest of Indianapolis – well-organized, easy to get around and visitor-friendly to the max. My son and his partners have nailed it. They have a winning formula for these types of festivals. Add Indianapolis to Cleveland, Columbus and Pittsburgh. Could there be more to come?

This was year one for WonderRoad. Some 18,000 people had a great time. Even the weather held out for the most part. After a lengthy downpour early Sunday afternoon - including some thunder - the clouds parted, the sun came out and the full show went on as if it hadn’t rained at all. Being well-organized and lucky is a great combination.

Go see for yourself what Indianapolis is all about. And, keep your eye out for an Elevation festival coming to a community near you. Neither one is to be missed.

DY: In Just a Few Words is a blog that comes out when something needs to be said or every Tuesday - whichever comes first. Davis Young is a communications professional who adds 50+ years of experience and perspective to issues of the day. His emphasis in DY: In Just a Few Words will be humor (a touch of sarcasm here, a pinch of facetiousness there...). Once in a while, he will touch on something a bit more serious - but hopefully not too deep or depressing.

This blog is a product of DY Author & Speaker LLC. Feel free to quote content with attribution. Respond. Agree. Disagree. Share the content with your friends. Heck - even invite him as a speaker for your group! Enjoy!

Davis Young
- Jun 7, 2022

DY: In Just a Few Words (#86)

Turns out you can teach an old dog new tricks...

Has your best friend, significant other, a higher ranking official, parent, boss or someone who just “knows what’s best for you” ever suggested you go to an event you would normally never agree to attend?

That’s what happened to me recently when my dearly beloved suggested we go to a late afternoon event to which we had been invited by a high school classmate. It was sometime in the near future. It would be fun! Then she broke the real news. It’s a party for the Cleveland Ballet.

Gee, I’d love to but, unfortunately, I'm busy that afternoon, I responded. So, I guess we can’t go.

What do you mean you’re busy that afternoon? I haven’t even told you the date yet.

I added, Well, I just know I’m busy with a commitment on that day, whatever day that might be.

OK, I’ll go without you then. But, I’m going. The dancers are going to put on a performance and I want to see it.

OK, I'll go. We're a team. But, you owe me big.

Wow, was I ever surprised! Beautiful afternoon and lovely backyard setting complete with a stage for performances. Something on the order of 20-plus dancers were there, with at least half from a variety of different countries. Instead of being a Sunday afternoon couch potato tuned into PGA golf or some CNN experts rehashing political rumors, there I was mesmerized by ballet dancers. Let me tell you something. These dancers are world-class athletes. And, they're a whole lot more interesting than your average politician.

So, that was the first surprise. Next was how the dancers mixed it up with the guests. They were totally open to talking with all the guests, even me. The dancers had even made a ton of good food reflecting their nationalities. And, one of them, a dancer from Brazil, made the greatest beach drink concoction I have ever had. All of them were interesting, conversant and totally friendly. No exceptions. Any organization would be proud to have a group like that mix it up with their guests. Yes, arts organizations are always in a fundraising mode, but before you raise funds you have to form relationships. So, chalk this one up as an exceptionally effective friendraiser.

One of the guests was a terrific guy who had spent 21 years as a member of the Bolshoi Ballet in Moscow. Even I know that the Bolshoi is the best-known ballet company in the world. Great to chat with on several different topics. Half Russian, half Ukrainian - now living with his wife and children in the Czech Republic. I never would have met him watching CNN...

I’m not quite into season tickets yet, but - to her everlasting credit - my superior officer pushed me into something I really enjoyed. It’s not the first time. And, I’m sure it won't be the last. I’m really glad I came to my senses and went. It was informative. It was fun. Most of all, it was eye-opening. I will go back to a ballet performance.

If your superior officer suggests you go to the ballet, remember this advice from your favorite blogger. Go. It will open your eyes. I know it opened mine.

Real men go to the ballet.

Davis Young
- May 31, 2022

DY: In Just a Few Words (#85)

How did you spend Memorial Day?

Memorial Day. We can trace the root of this American holiday back more than 150 years to the end of the Civil War. The intent was to honor men and women who have given their lives in military service.

That is a wonderful purpose and there are many parades and other observances across our country to support that objective. But, like some other traditional holidays - think Christmas - Memorial Day has morphed into something quite different than its original purpose.

Although the Summer Solstice is still three weeks away, Memorial Day has become the unofficial start to summer. Millions of Americans spend Memorial Day weekend traveling to and from the beach, lake houses or their favorite campgrounds. People open their pools on Memorial Day. They plant flowers. When nobody’s watching, they go off to play golf. It’s a happy time with very little somber reflection as to why we have this holiday and what we are doing to preserve its original intent.

Our family is no exception. This past weekend, Karen and I went to Michigan to be with our daughter, Tracy, and her family. We drank wine, stuffed ourselves with summer fare, played a little competitive Yahtzee and watched the Indy 500 without giving much thought to the meaning of Memorial Day. We needed to catch up with oldest granddaughter, Halle, and her significant other, Matt. They live in Chicago and we don’t see them often. Next granddaughter, Carly - who will have her MBA in a few short weeks and plans to move to Virginia - made a small fortune over the past several days walking Butterscotch and Arthur while their owners flew the coop for their own long weekend. Son-in-law, Keith, stayed busy doing what most retirees do - kicking back. And, as always, Tracy’s main focus was to keep assuring her parents are easing into old age without too much resistance.

Our long weekend was a prototype American family summer holiday with little thought given to what Memorial Day is supposed to be about. But this year - more than any in the recent past - I had a nagging feeling some people who should have been present were missing. In fact, lots of people. Start with the 19 little boys and girls in Uvalde, Texas. And, their teachers. Then there are the 10 good folks who were grocery shopping in Buffalo a week or so ago. And so, so many more. None of them went to the beach this weekend. None of them enjoyed a relaxing barbeque. None of them went camping with their families.

Lives full of so much promise. Precious moments never to be experienced. Graduations, weddings, and future family reunions none of them will ever know. RIP.

As you can see, I had both a happy and sad Memorial Day weekend. I am eternally thankful to have my family and incredibly sad at the growing number of families being destroyed by gun violence every day in America - particularly with assault rifles.

I propose that we expand the scope of those honored on Memorial Day to include people who have lost their lives to military grade assault rifles. And then we need to get to work removing these weapons from everyday life. Who’s with me?

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