paisleypiper's Diaryland Diary ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- lost in the land of sharks while pants shopping Lost in the Land of Sharks While Pants Shopping Shopping for pants is one of my least favorite activities, but with all of my pants becoming increasingly threadbare, this became a matter of urgency. This evening, I am faced with realizing my physical growth and having to find the courage to grow emotionally. I feel like I am losing one of my dearest friends, Citizen Gerta, as well as some the good will and respect of many of my dear neighbors. It is saddening my heart because over the past 10 years we have grown quite close. Our neighborhood is in the heart of State City, bordered by one of State City�s prized, renowned attractions on one side and an entertainment district on the other. The land in our neighborhood is in great demand by businesses, landlords, institutions, property speculators and residents of the city. As these �outfits� encroach our residential security we have no supportive and economically disinterested allies. Other neighborhoods in our city have concerned foundations and the local government helping them navigate their portion of State City�s entr�e into urbanization. I have been getting phone calls and fliers this weekend showing two and possibly three simultaneous emergency meetings on Monday. One meeting with Citizen Gerta and the board to discuss recent conversations with a large hospital in our neighborhood regarding the expansion of Institution XXXX to tear down three structures and build a taller residential building within the same footprint of the four structures. I have incredibly mixed emotions, but feel a need to work with the Institution and the Hospital to keep the evil developer and land speculator who owns half of the neighborhood at bay. Our neighborhood feels alone, feels �at risk� and is in full panic. This evening a small crew of fellow board members called me out of my house, with Citizen Gerta at the helm, demanding that I agree to canceling our meeting and submit a vote in favor of the institution�s expansion, there in my front yard, without a quorum. Our voices raised and I told them I need twenty-four hours to reflect. The professor in the group stepped on one of my hostas and mocked the pipsqueak. They are afraid that the ad hoc group will ruin any hope we have of getting State City to help us, as we are lost in the land of sharks. Instead of engaging in an open dialogue with the ad hoc group, they dared to show up and inform me that we are closing the dialog and moving forward without residential debate. Tonight I had to become a leader, although a reluctant one. I found myself setting what I feel to be the example, and also, facing the possibility that I will be resigning my elected position as neighborhood treasurer. I set aside plans I had and acted quickly and with confidence that is surprising me�. I include my letter to Citizen Gerta. She is not returning my calls. Dear Citizen Gerta, I appreciate your visit to me today and your willingness to discuss recent neighborhood events with me. As I reflect on our conversation, I find myself in a position of questioning our course in canceling the meeting. As treasurer of the XXXX Neighborhood Association, I am obligated to listen to all residents of our neighborhood association with the same regard as I listen to you and to Mr. Professor. This does not mean that I will agree with them or that I will support their protest. As treasurer, I am also obligated to present my perspective to all residents of the neighborhood willing to hear what I have to say. I am uncomfortable with being accused of having voted for the Institution XXXXX expansion, when in fact I was never invited to a formal board meeting and never presented with a distinct opportunity to voice my vote. When smarmy neighbor says that we have �already voted� she is factually incorrect. At the same time, she expresses a truth. To cancel our meeting and disregard their meeting shows nothing but our board�s willingness to act in a maverick fashion, out of line with the neighborhood climate. Exchanging information is not the same as agreement. I do not believe that I am obligated to remove my judgment from the decision-making process. I was elected Treasurer because of my judgment. I do not feel that I need to change my �official vote� in the face of this hastily organized protest. The bottom line is that I agree with you. For Institution XXXX to abandon their site and sell it, would be tragedy. Especially considering the rezoning of their location in my �back yard� as an urban redevelopment site. It would also be a tragedy for our neighborhood to loose allegiance with Hospital XXXX and Institution XXXX in our on-going battle with Evil Villain. If Hospital XXXX�s board really did offer to establish a plan for residential and neighborhood sustainability with our neighborhood association, I am in favor of this partnership. Yet, I can understand the other side. Like myself, these neighbors of ours are not privy to the level and timbre of information, as are you and the professor. We need to make the effort to share with them what motivates our concern over losing Institution XXXX and damaging the relationship that we have with Hospital XXXX � no matter how faint�by acting hastily and without a clear vision. I would like to invite my fellow officers and board members to attend the Edison Street meeting. I am fully prepared that we will be met with anger and frustration and that there is a large possibility that we will not arrive at a conclusion. But to do anything less shows complete disregard for the reason we are organized as a neighborhood. Further, if as a group we decide not to join their meeting, listen to their perspective and present ours, I will feel a need to resign my position as treasurer. I will resign quietly to the board and resign in support of what is best for the future of the neighborhood. This will not be a resignation to fuel the protester�s fire, but rather a resignation of conscience. You are and will always remain a dear friend of mine. We have always said in our friendship that we need to be able to talk things out and we have always recognized that there may be times when we do not agree. This may be one of those times. But please believe me that this does not lessen my regard for you as an individual, nor does it diminish my fondness for you as person. Please call me and let me at know what time I can visit you tomorrow to talk further about my feelings about how to handle the dual meetings. Best regards, Paisley Piper 9:51 p.m. - 2002-08-10 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
||||||