According to legendary football coach Bear Bryant of the University of Alabama, “If you believe in yourself and have dedication and pride - and never quit, you'll be a winner. The price of victory is high but so are the rewards.”  

 

Coach Bryant’s words apply equally to individuals, groups, and teams.  Here in Bridgeport, we see his message taken to heart every day. 

Why is Bridgeport so successful?  How did Bridgeport accomplish that project?  For a small town, how did you all get that done?  

 

I am often asked these types of questions by people around the state and from beyond our borders.  Those questions were one of the primary inspirations for starting my “Why Bridgeport?” blog series. 

 

The query might be concerning one of our sports programs.  It could be about the excellent condition of our streets, neighborhoods, or business districts.  Sometimes it is an inquiry into the academic success at our local schools.  Occasionally, the question is about the North Central West Virginia Airport, The Bridge, or the renovated Bridgeport Fire Department.    

 

A few weeks ago I went to lunch with a friend recently elected to serve on his city council in a nearby part of West Virginia.  It was good to see him and have time to catch up on the progress in our lives and families.  As great as that was, it was not the main purpose of our getting together, which was for him to pick my brain about serving on city council.  

 

Our conversation primarily revolved around municipal government, council procedures and responsibilities, city finances, ways to engage the community and staff, etc.  We also compared our towns regarding community involvement, schools, partisanship, and potential growth, among other issues.  

 

During and in the days following, I pondered the comparisons between the two cities I had gathered from our talk.  Even though the original point of our getting together had been for him to gain insight, opinions, and facts from me.  I ended up getting as much out of our conversation as he did.

 

The comparison made me wonder what factors make Bridgeport different from other communities.  My goal was to determine what is at the root of our success.  Initially, I turned to the U.S. Census Bureau to gather data in my quest for understanding.

 

Could it be our income level?  We have a relatively high household income level compared to most cities and towns across West Virginia.  Depending on how it is measured we generally fall somewhere in the top few communities statewide.

 

Is the cause related to education?  The data shows that only 2.8% of our adult residents have yet to obtain their high school diploma.  Nearly 80% have at least some college education beyond high school.  Almost 55% have a Bachelor’s degree or higher.

 

Homeownership is another possible contributor.  Nearly 75% of all households in Bridgeport own their home.  For married couples, that rate rises to just over 85%.  Those homes have a median value that falls well above the state average.

 

In addition to the Census Bureau statistics, I scoured the internet for more reasons.  There have been numerous independent rankings of the best cities in West Virginia to live, retire, raise a family, or have the best quality of life.  Bridgeport is frequently at the top or at least in the top few of these lists.  

 

We have low crime rates, great schools, ample recreation, outstanding transportation accessibility, etc.  The list goes on and on.  All great things, but I do not believe they are the root of why we succeed.  They are just the visible outcomes of something deeper.  

 

In my mind, I returned to my lunchtime conversation with my friend.  Something he had said came back to me.  He admired our town’s sense of community and willingness to work together to accomplish our goals.  I would have to agree.

 

Our community displays tremendous support for one another, enthusiastic encouragement, and a cooperative spirit that is missing from his and many other cities across the state.  These thoughts were leading me in the right direction.  However, I was still not to the source of our success, but I was getting closer.

 

After a little more consideration and accounting for the many positive attributes displayed in Bridgeport, I have come to one common denominator for their origin.  Pride.  Pride in ourselves, pride in our families, pride in our community.

 

Pride is often viewed as a vice.  In the 6th century, Pope Gregory listed pride as one of the seven deadly sins, along with wrath, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, and sloth.  By the 13th century, St. Thomas Aquinas called pride the most deadly sin of the seven.  C.S. Lewis, in the 20th century, called it, “the complete anti-God state of mind.”    

 

Modern psychological researchers, however, define pride in two different forms.  The first is hubristic pride, a conceited or arrogant emotion that exaggerates one’s abilities and self-esteem.  Those displaying this type of pride believe success is based solely on a person’s superiority, talent, and skill, a sadly narcissistic viewpoint.  This is the pride that Pope Gregory, St. Thomas, and Lewis described.

 

The second is authentic pride.  This type of pride is exhibited as a healthy and balanced assessment and belief in one’s skills and abilities combined with the understanding that success requires additional effort and is never guaranteed.  There is always a need for providence and good fortune from outside oneself.  This viewpoint is demonstrated by earnest self-esteem and ample humility.  

 

What drives the residents of Bridgeport is authentic pride.  Individually and as a community we are capable and talented, but we are also eager to work for what we want.  We are enthusiastic, disciplined, and resilient.  Outside observers may overlook the patience, dedication, and effort we put into achieving our goals.  But believe me, it is there.      

 

We celebrate, support, and encourage those around us in their efforts.  We embrace a team mentality.  All working together for the benefit of the community.   We are humbly pleased with our accomplishments and ability to contribute to each other’s successes.  We honor the achievements of our friends and neighbors. 

 

Why Bridgeport?  This authentic pride is not isolated to a few individuals.  It is prolific and widespread.  Teamwork, cooperation, and humility are staples of our way of thinking.  The growth in self-esteem we see in ourselves and those around us motivates us to strive for even more.    

 

Each of us in Bridgeport contributes where and when we can.  The combination of all these efforts of so many people across many projects and activities creates a cascade of success throughout the city.  Each resident doing their part for the greater good.  Our pride drives us forward.

 

The Archbishop of Cape Town, South Africa, Desmond Tutu describes it like this, “Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.”  I see lots of examples of that every day here in Bridgeport.

 

Editor's Note: Top photo shows an aerial view of Light Up Night, while the White Oaks development is shown in the second image. In the third photo, the still relatively new Citynet Center is on display. In the fourth photo, a well-maintained residential area of the city is shown. Bottom photo shows the start of the annual Derek Hotsinpiller Fallen Stars 5K. All photos point to things Bridgeport and its residents are proud of - in the correct way - according to the blogger. All photos courtesy of Jon Griffith.