November 21, 2012
Keven Cohen’s love letter to Famously Hot Columbia SC
The trend continues, as those who write or speak about Columbia start out with a nod to our Famously Hot meme.
The latest manifestation of this is the op-ed piece in The State today by longtime local radio host Keven Cohen, which is essentially a love letter to his adopted city. Excerpts:
Columbia, SC — Famously Hot! The Capital City. You can use any catch phrase you want. For me, after more than 18 years here, there’s one reason I refer to Columbia as my paradise: the people. It’s not geographical, although that’s a plus. It’s not the culture, although there’s plenty of it. It’s not the food, although anyone who knows me realizes I’ve enjoyed a few good meals. It’s the people of Columbia and the Midlands that make this place so special.
When I first went on the air as a radio host in Columbia, people weren’t sure about me. Many didn’t know if they could stand a graduate from a rival Southeastern Conference school; it didn’t help that that Spurrier guy was on the Gator sidelines terrorizing South Carolina. Others wondered how a Jewish guy born and raised in Detroit would fit in when he didn’t know a single soul upon his arrival. Answer: The people.
I used to remind all the people who called me “Gator Boy” or a Yankee that they were born here; I made a conscious choice to come and live here. Subsequently, when I’ve been called out on how I feel about our state capital, I’ve reminded them that after I fell in love with this city, I fell in love with a girl from this city, and we’re raising our children here. In fact, I loved Columbia so much that I talked my mother and my brother into moving here. I’ve been a virtual mini-Chamber of Commerce when bragging about this place. Why? The people…