I get a pretty common response when I tell people what I’m doing in Detroit. It usually starts with something they’ve heard about the City; sometimes it’s good, but more often than not, it’s something negative. Then they talk about how great it is that I’m giving up my time and talents and how Detroit needs more people like me. And then it always ends with the same comment; something along the lines of, ‘It’s so nice that you’re saving Detroit.”

I hate to break it to all the generous admirers, but I’m no superhero and I am most certainly not saving the City of Detroit. Not because I don’t have the money or time or because it’s too difficult, but simply because Detroit doesn’t need to be saved.

Now, I’m not trying to rock the boat too much here. In the end it’s more of a matter of word choice than anything else. But because it’s a phrase I hear so often, and because it implies something that is so untrue, I thought I’d take a blogger’s moment to address it.

There’s no getting around the fact that Detroit has issues. And assistance that is given genuinely, whether it is intellectual, financial or physical, is always welcomed and appreciated. Yet, as many Detroiters have pointed out to me, you don’t have to be a superhero to come to Detroit. You don’t have to feel obligated to singlehandedly save the City and solve all of its problems. If you come here, you just need to do the things that matter to you.

It’s true that Detroit is a place where you can make an impact and where there are problems just waiting for a person with an idea to come and solve. But Detroit holds opportunities of all shapes and sizes, and if the last 9 months have taught me anything, it’s that Detroit is a place to chase your passion, not someone else’s idea of what that should be.

It is also important to remember how many people and organizations have been working in Detroit for decades to make it a great city to live in. There’s a lot of buzz over the influx of startups, development and investors in the City, but I think that it’s the teachers, the social workers, the city employees and all of the incredibly dedicated and passionate residents that deserve to be celebrated most of all. They have made Detroit their home, and simply by doing so, are making it a better place.

So come to Detroit, but don’t feel like you need to come with an agenda. Come to visit to enjoy the history and culture of one of America’s most famed cities. Come to work in an industry that inspires you, whether it is a Fortune 500 Company or the coffee shop on the corner. Or come to live. Come to carve out a little place of the City that can become your own and will give you a lifetime of fulfillment. But you can leave your cape at home. Because Detroit is not a damsel in distress, and Detroit doesn’t need to be saved.