Last week I
was in the small town of Corning, N.Y. to give
the keynote speech at the
United Way of the
Southern Tier’s Annual Dinner. The trip
reaffirmed my belief that small towns can –
and should – be engines for the kind of
change the country yearns for today. But first
we must see them as the assets they
are.
Whenever I
work with national funders, partners, and
others, there’s nearly always a desire to
“Go Big” – that is, to focus on the
largest cities and markets possible. Oftentimes
there are solid reasons for this, including
that these places hold the vast majority of
people in the country, and that strategically
to move the needle on a particular issue (say,
the graduation rate) most of the people
affected may live in these
communities.
But
here’s the deal: at issue in America is not
simply the need to “solve” a particular
problem via one initiative or program, or even
a collection of them; right now, people do not
believe that’s possible given current
negative conditions in communities and the
larger country.
Instead, what
people yearn for are clear signals that we can
get things done together; that we can set goals
and achieve them; that it is possible to
rebuild trust between and among people. It’s
not “big change” people are looking for;
it’s the restoration of belief that we can do
things together and put our communities and the
nation on a better
trajectory.
The
reason small communities are so important is
that these places tend to be more nimble, the
scale is a doable, and demonstrating results
relatively easier. Imagine if scores of smaller
towns and communities dedicated themselves to
become beacons of such change; they could help
lead the way in
America.
In the
Institute’s work, this is happening across
the country – from Battle Creek, MI to Santa
Fe, NM to Grand Marias, MN, Lafayette, LA,
Anderson, IN, Champaign, IL, among others. With
the leadership of Ron Hatch at the local United
Way in Corning (along with others) that
community has been swiftly moving in this
direction, too, and their efforts are
promising. And there is any number of groups
that have been working in this area, such as
the Orton
Foundation.
As I
think about our common challenges, there are
many substantive issues that desperately need
attention – from raising graduation rates to
bullying to environmental concerns. And when it
comes to these and other concerns, we often
seek to take action in “big communities” to
get “big results.” But let’s not forget
the role smaller towns and communities can –
must – play. People are seeking to believe in
themselves and one another; they want proof
points that change is possible. They want to
start small, and locally, because it’s closer
to home, and something they can do. Ultimately,
they want to see that these efforts can spread
in a community so that they do not exist simply
as small pockets of good works and so that the
civic culture of communities can
change.
There
are all sorts of reasons for working with
different-sized communities when trying to make
a difference in people’s lives. As we make
these choices, my hope is that we add into
these deliberations what will help to
kick-start greater change and hope throughout
the country. For that, smaller towns and
communities are a good
bet.
But first
we have to commit ourselves to look in their
direction. And then we must not simply start
new initiatives, but focus on people’s deep
yearning to kick-start a very different
trajectory in the
nation.
Amid all the upheavals throughout the world these days – including recent elections in France and Greece, the kick-off of the noisy presidential campaign, and terrorist plots – Maurice Sendak, the legendary children’s book author and illustrator, died. With Sendak in mind, I am writing this week with a simple request: tell me your favorite childhood book.
Perhaps Sendak’s most widely read book is Where the Wild Things Are, which came out in 1963, when I was barely three years old. I remember the book well from reading it to my two children some 30 years later. The main character in the book – young Max – shows us the power of imagination, facing our fears, and our intrinsic ability to engage others, especially those who are different from ourselves (the so-called “Wild Things”).Myself, I have other favorite childhood books, too. I was brought up on all the Dr. Seuss books, and I still have them all, tattered as they may be, in my home (sssh! don’t tell my older brother, who would probably want them back!). Likewise, I still have all the Hardy Boys books. And I hold close to my heart the stories my father used to make-up each night about two friends, “Alfred” and “Frederick,” where the story would end with a “moral lesson” about their choices and behaviors.Then, there was the story of “Noodle,” which was in my second grade reader, On We Go. I was so taken by this little dog who buried his bone that I lobbied my wife and children just this past year for our new yellow Lab to be named “Noodle.” But, sadly, “on we go” turned into “no go!”I know that talking about childhood stories might be seen as me being “soft,” as if I am reaching back to more innocent times; I realize that risk in writing this piece. But, then again, each of our own favorite or most memorable childhood stories inform who we are; they have the power to carry us back to some basic beliefs or values that are important and instructive in our lives. It’s why the Dr. Seuss book Oh, the Places You’ll Go! is so often a graduation gift.So, what about you? What are your favorite childhood books and stories – and why? Let’s celebrate Sendak’s life by stepping back and taking just a moment to remember. Then, write me below!