Threat not, my fellow PDX inhabitants. Though the current state of our beloved city is in certain level of dire straits: boarded up businesses, people struggling with financial crisis, homeless being further scapegoated for various neighborhood issues; We should try closing our collective eyes and image ourselves rebuilding once the self made barriers are hurdled over. 1. Covid will not last forever. We seem to have reached a plateau of sorts in the number of cases and deaths. It's all downhill from here...in a good way. 2. The protests were a necessary inconvenience. Sorry if they negatively impacted your way of life. But the message seemed to have at least partially gotten through. Yes. Some folks still have bottled up energy they release by smashing some windows every now and then. Imagine if they put that same energy to doing something creative. Portland has always been a powder keg for creative talent. 3.For the most desperate living it out on the streets Portland represents a last ditch hope because of its focus on communities helping other communities. FOr every sad tale of a person falling on bad times there's an inspiring story about recovery and redemption. The arctic blast we just endured shows our perseverance. You can feel something in the air. I think we are on the verge of a renaissance. Will PDX return to what it was a couple years ago? Probably not. It will be even better.