Read the headline.
How many times have you heard that self-important nugget when asking someone to lend you their ears for a moment or donate a thin slice of their time?
As president of my townhouse strata, I hear it all the time from residents, eager to voice their grievances when collaring me in our street, less inclined to continue the conversation when I suggest they run for council.
“I would love to, but…work, kids, sports,” etc. etc. Really?
Like, I have time in between my kid, his sports, his math homework, my two jobs and, oh yeah, being president of the strata, including watering every night for two weeks the new azalea bushes at the strata’s front entrance. You’re welcome, by the way.
The difference is — I care. I care enough to sacrifice a little bit of my every day to try and keep our complex half decent and not looking like an out-of-control slum.
I care about my surroundings and get that it takes more than one person to pitch in to foster community spirit.
You’ve heard the “broken window” theory, right? The reverse is also true. Case in point; my son recently took on the weekly task of cleaning up the litter in our strata and, within a few weeks, we witnessed other residents randomly picking up stray garbage.
The point is, it’s incumbent on all of us to get involved in the places we live.
Everyone and their dog seems to have an opinion on Richmond’s policing debate, yet a paltry 200 people bothered to show up over five open houses hosted by the city.
The city, as far as I can see, is doing its part in reaching out to residents on a myriad of platforms, online and traditional. Perhaps people are “too busy” to attend open houses? Aren’t we all?
There are more chances, however, for people to build time into their iPhone calendars these coming weeks and show that they care.The future make-up of the Garden City Lands and further densification along Richmond’s major roads lies, to an extent, in your hands. Stop sitting on them, show up once in a while and be a part of the process.
* So, the unsanctioned, unpermitted 420 folks are still protesting the fact that pot is almost legal, this time on a beach.
Meanwhile, there’s a 420 splitter – or is that spliffer? – group refused to stand easy by the beach, determined, instead, to hold their shaky ground at the original Vancouver Art Gallery protest site. Really?
Is anyone else getting Monty Python’s Life of Brian flashbacks? The scene where the People’s Front of Judea (PFJ) verbally abuses the Popular Front of Judea (PFJ) and Stan wants to protest for men’s right to give birth, even though they don’t have wombs...
Alan Campbell is a reporter for the Richmond News. He can be reached at [email protected]
