Date: Thu, 13 Feb 2014 16:02:10 -0500 (EST)
From: mphorn22
Subject: It only looks that way.
Tom, it sounds like you don’t know how activism works. There seldom are large numbers who actually get involved in committees, legwork, etc. The prevailing “hue and cry” I’ve heard from churches, political organizations, PTAs, community organizations – you name it, the same thing comes from all of them: “Why don’t more people get involved? Why do we few have to do everything?!”
Look at it this way: you who are reading this posting can easily think back over your life. What activities did you devote a lot of time with? What did you spend a little bit of time on? And why? Probably everything you do, you do because you want to. Even if it’s to support those who devote a lot of time where you literally don’t have more than an hour or a few minutes. We can’t all of us devote whole days of time to everything we’re interested in.
For example: in my life, most of my time is in my work, which is both my mission and my livelihood. I spend a little time with churches, a little time socializing, a little time with attending lectures, a little time writing letters to groups when the subject draws me, and more time with my art work. The amount of TIME I spend has nothing to do with its importance. All of these areas are important or I wouldn’t be doing them. In some of the groups that I attend only once a month or quarter, I still do because I want to support those groups.,,,to support the leaders, planners, and others who devote a lot of time to it.
Metaphorically, the ones who devote the most time to an endeavor are like the center pillar that holds up a huge tent. Those of us who spend some time with them (like members of a committee) are the guy-lines out to the stakes that help to form the perimeters and size of the tent. The tent material is the nature of the group, what it stands for, and why it’s there. Then the chairs inside are a metaphor for everyone else who gets somewhat involved. The people who flit in and flit out are a metaphor for communication channels out-reaching through phoning, letter-writing, talking up the “why we’re here” stuff.
So – Tom – I hope that helps you to understand better why the Pittsboro Matters organization – and probably also the Chatham Matters organization – looks small. It only looks that way. The central organization is the focal point.
And yes, there were at least a hundred people at the first meeting in October. But there are a lot more people who want to be involved and are doing supportive endeavors. You just don’t know about them unless your attention wants to go that way.
– Maryphyllis