You can do anything in Hamilton — actually, make that WE

Together, we become a city of superheroes (wearing grey T-shirts)

Chris Farias

I own a superhero costume. Not tights and a cape. Nothing that can make me fly, jump over tall buildings or deflect a bullet. It’s not bright or flashy.

It’s just a simple T-shirt. But, really, it’s so much more than that.

This summer, I purchased a T-shirt from a talented designer in Dundas named Russell Gibbs. Nothing fancy, a heather-grey soft shirt with block lettering. It proudly proclaims, “You can do anything in Hamilton.”

When I asked Russell why he decided to capture the spirit of the city on a T-shirt, he said he was inspired by the revitalization, rebirth and collective change he was seeing. I couldn’t agree with this more.

However, like a few others who have purchased the shirt, I’ve experienced criticism from onlookers who have made a point to tell me this city stinks and there ain’t nothing I can do about it.

Let’s be honest, Hamilton has had a reputation of being a city of hard knocks, tough love and even — yes, this actually happens — people cutting your Internet connection to smoke the wires.

But as I proudly wore my shirt around the city, I realized its message is about so much more than the people who contribute to the betterment (or detriment) of our town every day. It’s about a new, positive way of looking at the city, and the belief that change is possible so long as individuals choose to actively participate.

While walking down James Street South during Supercrawl a few weekends ago, I saw many Hamiltonians wearing their “You can do anything in Hamilton” T-shirts.

That’s when it hit me: No one person in this city is a superhero. Alone we can’t “Take Back the Night,” save a lady named Lister or draw more than 70,000 people to the downtown for a super event. But together, we can. And we have. And we will.

When we all work together, “WE can do anything in Hamilton.”

TheVintageMP: #YouCanDoAnythingInHamilton means I can take a flying leap and not be afraid because of the supportive community surrounding me.

UnitedWayBH: EVERYONE in our community, regardless of income, can receive support to reach their full potential.

HamiltonConsFDN: To us #YouCanDoAnythingInHamilton means enjoying and supporting all of the beautiful natural areas that surround us!

Christoph Benfey: It means I can walk to work, and on the way get some of the best coffee in the world. Bump into a few good friends before I get to the studio, and then do a job as a creative professional that to me doesn’t feel like work! I couldn’t do any of that when I was living in Toronto.

Lisa Pijuan-Nomura: To me, it’s all about possibilities to create your dreams, to make what you want, to fill your days with art, nature, community alongside many others who share similar goals.