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WILLAMETTE RIVER ADVOCACY

Esoteric ramblings from the Ringleader

May 16, 2017

Esoteric ramblings from the Ringleader

 

 

I am looking to take on a vocabulary change. I have grown tired of the word “partnering” being thrown around today. I prefer the word “cooperation”.

 

Partnering feels like a box you check when filling out a grant application. Partnering is so 1980’s. I am not at a swinger’s party tossing my keys in a bowl. I am interested in something deeper. I am seeking to develop Collaborative Cooperation. It’s the only way to solve the many complex problems we face. How can we collaboratively cooperate together to solve each other’s problems? 

Cooperation is active, creative, collaborative. It’s letting go. As an adult, it conjures positive feelings and peace. It’s a high aspiration value, a trait we cultivate in our young humans, and are introduced to at a very early age. Over and over again.

The greater the challenge, the longer it can take to lay the foundation to build a solution. That can be hard work. It’s earning the benefit of the doubt. It’s listening, and caring, and working just as hard to consider someone else’s ideas as much as your own. 

It’s treating others as equals. 

It’s teamwork, a silent, understood pact to work for a solution. It’s the free exchange of ideas and give and take - knowing when to be patient, and impatient - and being considerate in communication. It frequently means picking yourself up and starting over, having short term memory for misses, and also forgiving. 

It’s sometimes messy and doesn’t always work. In some situations, it’s impossible to achieve and better to walk away from. At least for now. Because there are many paths to problem solving. A problem that leads to a dead end today just might reveal a door down the road, and it often does.  

Individually, we are underdogs. But history has demonstrated that underdogs win when they join together, work hard, have a game plan, trust each other and have fun.

 

HAP is looking to do something big and meaningful and magical in our community. There is an international movement seeking to reclaim urban waterfronts. HAP is proud to be a part of it. Our success has the very real potential of not only transforming our community but inspiring other communities to see that big, hairy, seemingly impossible dreams can come true!

Our HAP team is growing stronger. One by one we’re gaining support, from all levels of government, to our growing list of corporate sponsors and foundation supporters, to individual “regular” humans like you who have joined in this “riverlutionary” collaboration. Thank you for your good vibes, support, participation and cooperation! 



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