At high school reunions in Spokane, former classmates update their life stories according to four basic narratives.

“They left Spokane and still feel relieved that they managed to “escape.”

“They left after high school or college, lived in other places, and then moved back home again.

“They never left and wish they had.

“They never left and never regret it.

Reunited classmates sometimes argue about which life path proves most fulfilling. But almost all remember growing up with Spokane’s “second-city” syndrome. Spokane wasn’t Seattle, wasn’t Portland, certainly wasn’t Los Angeles or New York City. Spokane lacked nightlife, trendy restaurants and job opportunities for ambitious young people. Or so the story went.

Did things begin to change a decade ago? Five years ago? It’s impossible to pinpoint when Spokane started feeling a little different, a little more hip. The restaurant scene perked up. Downtown woke from its decades-long slumber; nightclubs danced to life; the theater and arts showcased local talent. International and national companies, many in the software line, opened up here or moved in from bigger cities, increasing job opportunities.

People coming home to high school reunions, especially those who hadn’t been here in a decade or more, asked: “What happened to Spokane?” They meant it in a good way.

The quality of life many Spokane children took for granted – the parks, the rivers, the lakes, the mountains – took on new meaning for those who moved to cities without natural beauty close by. Some young people who felt they had to leave Spokane to experience a more interesting life and make a more livable salary are returning home, because there’s more of both now. And the parks, rivers, lakes and mountains welcome them back.

Newcomers arrived, too. Spokane County’s population grew 7 percent between 2000 and 2006, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The newcomers don’t have Spokane’s second-city status as part of their narratives. They see it with new eyes.

Vibrant communities move forward through interaction between its long-timers, who know a community’s history and fault lines, and its newcomers, who can dream about a community’s future without preconceptions.

Long-timers are comparing the energy around Spokane with the feelings that existed when Expo ‘74 was being planned in the early 1970s. Spokane was dreaming big and working hard on a vision shared by many. The Natives and Newcomers Dialogues series that begins on this page today hopes to capture some of the conversation going on now about Spokane’s future. The city, and the entire region, is writing a new narrative. No more second city. It’s different here – in a good way.