LIVE UNITED Y’All!

by Jan Sherrell

It’s easy to make a buck. It’s a lot tougher to make a difference.
– Tom Brokaw

I’ve recently been thinking about what a burden it would be to win the lottery or to have been born with a silver, diamond studded spoon. No, really! Surely the newness of being really rich would wear off. You would become suspect of the motive of everyone around you. Wouldn’t there come a point when I have bought enough shoes that the thrill of the hunt is gone? Travel would lose its draw over time. Eventually my mind would turn toward others. What good can I now do with all this richness?

To be crazy rich- what would that be like? It could be a real burden. It would be important to me to really accomplish something. I could, of course, form another nonprofit like tons of well-meaning folk do. A nonprofit sporting my name doesn’t really appeal to me, though. Digging in and really determining what could make a difference in my community or even the world (if I go with the super crazy, stupid rich) is not a simple task. I am not a talker either, I’m a doer. So it would be a challenge for me to slow down, study some issues, learn much and develop a strategy. I’d definitely bring in people smarter than me.

Would I have to narrow down into one goal and fund initiatives around it so that you could see and measure a change? Or would I fund lots of interesting, proven initiatives, sharing the wealth across a gamut of needs? See what I mean about the burden it would be? Someone always has an opinion on what you did or did not fund. Being generous can be criticized if it doesn’t agree with someone else’s agenda. Careful what you wish for. Winning that lottery may not be nirvana.

Metro United Way isn’t super crazy rich. But our work is supported by the resources given us. We take time to study the community, to know the issues, to listen to the experts. We are striving toward naming goals, setting strategies and objectives to get us there.

To give money is an easy matter and in any person’s power, but to decide to whom to give and how much and when and for what purpose and how, is neither in every person’s power, nor an easy matter.
–Aristotle

Just because these quotations both point out it is hard work to determine where to put your resources, it shouldn’t stop you from going ahead and giving and trying to change things for the better. Hmm, guess I’d have to really buy a ticket before I need to worry about being super, crazy rich from winning the lottery.

General community issues, decision making, goals, lottery, rich, strategy

When I was growing up, I remember teasing my mother about how she only knew one way to get someplace.  She knew one way to drive to the big regional shopping mall which was located about 30 minutes from our home.  She always parked the car outside of the Carson Pirie Scott store, even if we were going to the Sears store on the other side of the mall.  “If we’re going to Sears, why don’t you park the car by Sears?” I’d ask her.  And she would answer that she had to park where she could see the purple water tower (the mall is located in Lombard, Illinois, known as “The Lilac Village” and boasts a water tower painted the color of lilacs), or else she’d get confused about which direction to go back home.  My dad’s running joke was that if she drove around the block backwards, she’d be lost.  As a result of my mom being directionally-challenged, once I started driving I determined that I wouldn’t be like her.  I’d find alternate roads.  I’d know more than one way to get places.

For the last several months, I’ve had a standing Tuesday night appointment in the east end of Louisville.  Leaving downtown after work, I’d always take the Interstate and always be frustrated by the slow-moving traffic heading out of the city.  Finally, I asked for help in finding an alternative route using the surface streets…amazing!  The drive may not be as direct, but I keep moving and don’t get stuck in rush-hour traffic.  As the weeks go by, I’ve tried to vary the route without getting lost, which sometimes works and sometimes doesn’t.

OK, you may be thinking, that’s a nice story, but what has it got to do with anything?  Well, I’ll tell you.  I think that a lot of times we can be like my mom in our problem solving efforts.  We know what’s worked in the past and so we keep right on doing the same thing, afraid that if we do anything different we’ll lose our way.  We keep driving down the Interstate because it’s familiar and a sure thing, even if it leaves us frustrated.  What if we explored a different way?  True, we might get a bit lost along the way but, if we ask for directions, we’ll eventually get to where we want to be.  It might take us longer to arrive, but we’ll have learned something new and maybe even discover something really cool along the way.  What do you think?  Are you ready to try a new way?

General alternatives, decision making, make change