Summary: As the November 4 election day edges closer, I’m certain Birth2Work Radio listeners are engulfed, as I am, in the sea of words gushing from every electronic device ever created. Unfortunately, I’m finding little comfort in most of them. Long term, systemic problems like the ones candidates are talking about cannot be solved with punchy sound bites. They require shared vision, community engagement, and alignment. How, I wonder, did we enter our current economic situation, without seeing the signs of it years ago? And what can we do differently now? Start with how you think about the problems that seem to affect you the most. The Birth2Work Team is committed to unveiling the interconnectedness of our education crisis, our workforce crisis, our economic crisis, our healthcare crisis and our leadership crisis with a proactive view and a sense of urgency. The problems politicians address are seldom just of their own making. They’re of our own making, in our own lives. In small ways, every day we make simple decisions that have long-term consequences. For example, have you ever been part of a school club, neighborhood sports team, or organization that needed to have small local businesses buy advertising for your publications or provide soda and ice-cream for floats to raise money? Did you give much thought to the reality that those same businesses need you to buy from them, too? Have you ever wondered why many small businesses have just gone away? How about community leadership and voting? Will you be taking your children to the polls with you when you go to vote? Do you talk to them about how you are going to vote and why? Do you encourage, support, and model civic engagement to instill the value of active citizenship that tomorrow’s communities will require, not just to exist, but to thrive? Active modeling by his mom was how today’s radio guest learned to lead as a community stakeholder. With this week's program, featuring civic leader Jordan Brandman, I invite you to listen and consider thinking differently about the long term value of first modeling the behavior you want from others. No need to wait until disaster strikes before you do something to make a difference. Stay Engaged! - Elane V. Scott www.Birth2Work.org
