Making It Happen

We have all heard it said once and a while that there are a lot of great ideas out there.  Of course that is the problem…“they are out there.” First of all, where is out there? Secondly, who is looking? And finally, what should be done?  These are just a few of the questions that have to be answered.    

Most of us would agree with the assessment that there are a lot of things that need to get done to ensure a better future for the next generations.  This is especially true for those living in urban America.  This includes cleaning up the environment, rebuilding neighborhoods, creating sustainable employment, enlarging political tents, expanding health and wellness initiatives, improving educational institutions and providing better housing.  And this is just a short list. 

If you want to make something happen, even in our modern society, it takes concern people who do not mind leading people with a purpose.  Today, more community based advocates are needed to help in the process to make our communities and streets better and safer.  In most cases there is so much that is out of place that it does not take long to find any issue worth getting involved with.  Of course, one will have to be ready to deal with pushbacks, confrontations and the misunderstanding that come as part of the reality.  When cultural, institutional and business norms are being affected…the heat, temperature and risks just increase.            

We all can agree that in this 21^st century a lot of things need to be done for the wellbeing of our communities and nation… and to get it right.  And of course the sure complexity of our American society, its structures, systems of government on various levels, the board landscape of educational institutions… change and reform is hard to take.   Nicholas Butler Murray, (1863-1947), a former president of Columbia University and Nobel Peace Prize recipient in 1931, offered this insight on leadership… “there are three kinds of people; those who make things happen, those who watch things happen, and those who wonder what happened.”  The question for us today, where does each of us stand?