Lift rock. Shine light.
My last two posts (“Goodbye Rita, Hello Future” and “Attention Texans”) seem to have found some traction and perhaps hit a few nerves. I’ve received many replies from readers who were equally frustrated with the national media’s mishandling of the Hurricane Rita story.
All who wrote to me agreed that the citizens and leaders of SWLA generally distinguished themselves in their response to Rita. They also concurred that what becomes of our community in the years ahead is a choice we must now make actively, not passively.
A number of you wrote in some detail of your observations regarding the need for SWLA to come to grips with its perennial “old boy” network. For decades, we’ve seen too many blowhards masquerading as leaders while in reality working mostly to preserve a status quo designed to make life comfortable for a small circle of vested interests. Enough. It’s time to put the hidden agendas away, stop handing out awards to each other, and start doing the tough job of growing our region in an enlightened manner.
It’s called “lifting the rock and shining the light.” Some will find the process uncomfortable. Others will be amazed at what slithers out. In the end, it’s up to each of us to ensure that the rock stays lifted, the light lit, leaders held accountable, and everyone focused on our respective roles in this region’s future.
That said, I want to include something that's been rattling around my brain since Rita (and Katrina before her). Here are three “lessons” from nature which may be applicable to the task at hand:
1. THE LESSON OF THE RAINFOREST
"Complexity always follows chaos.”
Nature is instinctively regenerative. I learned this one while walking through the beautiful Hoh Rainforest of Washington's Olympia Peninsula. Huge trees (usually Sitka spruces) there grow so tall they get hit by lightning or crash to the ground from their own weight. To the passerby, this must be a horrific sight. I'm sure there are casualties every time one of these massive trees comes crashing down. But eventually, these rotted trees which span the forest floor become the crucible for new plant and animal life. In fact, they're called "nurse logs" and from them sprout shrubs and seedlings, the Hoh's next generation. Nurse logs are as much a part of nature's cycle as the new life they make possible.
2. THE LESSON OF MOUNT ST. HELENS
"Rule 1 happens faster than we think it will, for reasons we didn't anticipate."
Another favorite place in Washington State is Mount St. Helens. Remember when this volcano did its "sideways" blast years back? Informed observers predicted it would be centuries before the surrounding moonscape would support life once again. They were wrong. Travelers to the visitors' center there are amazed at the beauty which surrounds Mount St. Helens. There are wildflowers, young trees and animal life as far as the eye can see. How did this happen? Early hand-wringers failed to factor in the impact of burrowing animals (moles, etc) which had been hiding safely underground when the blast happened. They dug their way to the surface, bringing up moist earth, insects and worms. Birds flying overhead swooped down, ate the bounty and inadvertently left behind seeds carried from elsewhere. The seeds sprouted in the fresh dirt and, voila...one of the more beautiful and quickly-regenerating landscapes you'll ever see.
3. THE LESSON OF THE MIDWEST FLOODS
"Rule 2 works even quicker when humans are involved."
Humans are amazingly creative creatures. We can be forgiven for seeing the worst when presented with a big challenge such as the mess left behind when the winds blow or the waters rise. But we are hardwired to put our lives back together, individually and communally. Need evidence? Check out the flood plains surrounding St. Louis. Remember all those pictures and videos from the floods a few years back? Remember the money we raised down here in SWLA to help those impacted? Well, take a drive along many of those same flood plains now. They are among the most rapidly-developing areas of the Midwest. Those who saw opportunity instead of problems acted like leaders are supposed to act. They addressed insurance issues, offered incentives for rebuilding, designed structures better able to withstand what nature could dish out, and along the way created thousands of new jobs.
Finally, a bonus lesson. Call it the "Lesson of Zarathustra." I'm not generally taken to quoting Nietszche, and I certainly don't think God is dead. But I do subscribe to the central declaration of the book's hero. He teaches that Man is not a goal but a bridge, a rope over an abyss.
On our own journey, Rita was not the end. She's just another beginning.
All who wrote to me agreed that the citizens and leaders of SWLA generally distinguished themselves in their response to Rita. They also concurred that what becomes of our community in the years ahead is a choice we must now make actively, not passively.
A number of you wrote in some detail of your observations regarding the need for SWLA to come to grips with its perennial “old boy” network. For decades, we’ve seen too many blowhards masquerading as leaders while in reality working mostly to preserve a status quo designed to make life comfortable for a small circle of vested interests. Enough. It’s time to put the hidden agendas away, stop handing out awards to each other, and start doing the tough job of growing our region in an enlightened manner.
It’s called “lifting the rock and shining the light.” Some will find the process uncomfortable. Others will be amazed at what slithers out. In the end, it’s up to each of us to ensure that the rock stays lifted, the light lit, leaders held accountable, and everyone focused on our respective roles in this region’s future.
That said, I want to include something that's been rattling around my brain since Rita (and Katrina before her). Here are three “lessons” from nature which may be applicable to the task at hand:
1. THE LESSON OF THE RAINFOREST
"Complexity always follows chaos.”
Nature is instinctively regenerative. I learned this one while walking through the beautiful Hoh Rainforest of Washington's Olympia Peninsula. Huge trees (usually Sitka spruces) there grow so tall they get hit by lightning or crash to the ground from their own weight. To the passerby, this must be a horrific sight. I'm sure there are casualties every time one of these massive trees comes crashing down. But eventually, these rotted trees which span the forest floor become the crucible for new plant and animal life. In fact, they're called "nurse logs" and from them sprout shrubs and seedlings, the Hoh's next generation. Nurse logs are as much a part of nature's cycle as the new life they make possible.
2. THE LESSON OF MOUNT ST. HELENS
"Rule 1 happens faster than we think it will, for reasons we didn't anticipate."
Another favorite place in Washington State is Mount St. Helens. Remember when this volcano did its "sideways" blast years back? Informed observers predicted it would be centuries before the surrounding moonscape would support life once again. They were wrong. Travelers to the visitors' center there are amazed at the beauty which surrounds Mount St. Helens. There are wildflowers, young trees and animal life as far as the eye can see. How did this happen? Early hand-wringers failed to factor in the impact of burrowing animals (moles, etc) which had been hiding safely underground when the blast happened. They dug their way to the surface, bringing up moist earth, insects and worms. Birds flying overhead swooped down, ate the bounty and inadvertently left behind seeds carried from elsewhere. The seeds sprouted in the fresh dirt and, voila...one of the more beautiful and quickly-regenerating landscapes you'll ever see.
3. THE LESSON OF THE MIDWEST FLOODS
"Rule 2 works even quicker when humans are involved."
Humans are amazingly creative creatures. We can be forgiven for seeing the worst when presented with a big challenge such as the mess left behind when the winds blow or the waters rise. But we are hardwired to put our lives back together, individually and communally. Need evidence? Check out the flood plains surrounding St. Louis. Remember all those pictures and videos from the floods a few years back? Remember the money we raised down here in SWLA to help those impacted? Well, take a drive along many of those same flood plains now. They are among the most rapidly-developing areas of the Midwest. Those who saw opportunity instead of problems acted like leaders are supposed to act. They addressed insurance issues, offered incentives for rebuilding, designed structures better able to withstand what nature could dish out, and along the way created thousands of new jobs.
Finally, a bonus lesson. Call it the "Lesson of Zarathustra." I'm not generally taken to quoting Nietszche, and I certainly don't think God is dead. But I do subscribe to the central declaration of the book's hero. He teaches that Man is not a goal but a bridge, a rope over an abyss.
On our own journey, Rita was not the end. She's just another beginning.
posted by Jim Serra at 10/26/2005 11:44:00 PM
1 Comments:
Mr.Serra,
I just wanted to say that I love reading all the blogs on our web site. They were fun and interesting. Being a writer myself, I love to read what others write and how they put into words how they express themselves. As you know, I am an employee at your station, and reading the blogs exposes us to the different sides of the people we work with. I just want to thank for such an enlightened blog, I hope you and the rest of the contributors continue to share your intermost thoughts and emotions with all who reads your entertaining blogs.
Sherryl Guillory
Post a Comment
<< Home