Natalia Namen Temesgen: We don't have to face tough times alone

With the sinkhole that's closed down one of the city's major thruways, the reports of armed robberies, and the brutal, senseless tragedy that met the Short family, it feels 2016 is off to a poor start for our city.

My last two columns have focused on positive visions for the future and not allowing fear to get the better of us, yet these recent events make it tough to find a bright disposition.

This week, I've found it's hard to get out of bed. Once I'm up, it's hard to leave the house. Once I'm out, I'm eager to get back in. I'm grasping for reassurance of security, comfort. I'm sure I'm not alone in that.

But that's the thing. I am alone. When we allow hardship to separate us from our community, we bear a heavier burden because we bear it in isolation.

I am aware of that fact and look to Saturday as an opportunity to relieve myself of that burden and to find comfort and security in oneness with my community.

This Saturday is The Dream Lives event, an annual celebratory tribute to the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. hosted by the Mayor's Commission on Unity, Diversity and Prosperity. This commission, comprised of about 25 individuals, meets monthly to work on creating a Columbus in which each person, regardless of age, gender, race or economic background, is presented with equal access to opportunities.

The event will consist of a handful of activities, beginning with a 1-mile fun run at 9:30 a.m., followed by a 5K at 10 a.m. that starts on MLK Jr Blvd and ends at the Liberty Theatre on Eighth Avenue, and ending at that very location with a big celebration at noon in which local artists will perform, speakers will share words of encouragement, and Daymond John of ABC's "Shark Tank" will deliver a keynote address.

I attended last year's event with my family and found it to be uplifting, inspiring and great for kids, with lots of activities and games.

I also felt the sense of unity and togetherness that the event seeks to highlight. Instead of seeing strangers on the street and passing them without a "hello," I was surrounded by strangers that felt like true neighbors as we celebrated our city, our goals for a better community, and the legacy of MLK. People danced, laughed, smiled and opened their hearts together in one of the oldest neighborhoods of Columbus.

My spirit needs that again, right now. All of us who are allowing bad news to keep us isolated need to come together. Writer Suzy Kassem says, "When two brothers are busy fighting, an evil man can easily attack and rob their poor mother. Mankind should always stay united, standing shoulder to shoulder so evil can never cheat and divide them."

This is not the end of bad news for 2016. But if I can stand with my city and know that I am united, I can not only face the bad but facilitate the good. Let's stand together -- Saturday and beyond.

Natalia Naman Temesgen is an independent contractor. Contact her at nntemesgen@yahoo.com

This story was originally published January 9, 2016 at 4:10 PM with the headline "Natalia Namen Temesgen: We don't have to face tough times alone ."