Over the last several days, my colleagues have been blogging and appearing in videos about their passion for Pittsburgh. For me, Pittsburgh and its communities have served as the backdrop for many of the most significant events in my life. Nearly half of my story has been written, so to speak, in Pittsburgh. The first chapters – the formative years – were written in Johnstown, Pa., so for all intents and purposes, my 40-year-story is set in Western Pennsylvania.
The Pittsburgh chapters of my life – marriage, buying homes, great new jobs, beginnings and endings of friendships, divorce, news of the deaths of my brothers, the death of my Lab Lily – have unfolded in places like Millvale, Emsworth, Wexford, South Side, Bloomfield and Oakland, to name a few. Like life, my story has had ups and downs.
When I think of Pittsburgh as a region, I think of a gritty, resilient and resourceful city and region. I think of the unique communities and people in them, the times I’ve had in each of them, and the common bond that runs through all of them – Pittsburghers have each other’s back.
I like to think I’ve been resilient and resourceful and that when it matters most, I have had the back of my fellow Pittsburghers. I know in many instances, they have had mine. That’s where my passion for Pittsburgh begins.
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Jason Snyder is a senior vice president for WordWrite Communications. 
