FaithBlacquiere

Once upon a time there was a Small City.  The Council of the Small City, concerned about being re-elected, generally tried to protect its residents.  This didn’t always work because they had to get permission from a large Region and their decisions were generally overturned by the OMB.  The Small City’s staff knew their residents, the land and the infrastructure well and generally fought to protect them.

One day the Small City was amalgamated into a new Giant City.  The Small City’s staff were let go, the records of their battles and infrastructure problems were buried, and their residents’ concerns were merged under a huge umbrella.  The poor residents now had only 2 persons to look after their interests and 21 others to vote against them. 

The Giant City approved more and more development without understanding that their decisions would cause flooding.

The Giant City approved more and more development that would allow developers to destroy the residents’  beloved forests.

The Giant City approved more and more development that would overwhelm the Small City’s roads, schools, community facilities, sewage pumping stations, infrastructure, medical clinics, and other things the residents needed to live a happy, less stressful life.

Then one day hundreds of homes in the Small City were flooded.  The Giant City didn’t know why, or even know where all the infrastructure was, what problems it had, or even if they were responsible.

One day, some of the residents of the Small City said “Enough is enough.  If the Giant City won’t protect us, we will have to follow a new philosophy” which is “I’ll do it myself said the Little Red Hen”.  And so, some of the residents began to give information to the Big City so they would know the history and others began to fight the Big City.

But some of the Small City’s residents said
“How can we fight the Giant City?”
“I don’t have the time”
“My action won’t make a difference” 

But these residents didn’t know or had forgotten the story of David and Goliath.
Goliath was a Giant who challenged the Israelites to fight.  Saul, the King of Israel’s army was afraid to fight him, so David volunteered.  Carrying his shepherd’s staff, slingshot and a pouch full of small stones, David approached Goliath. The giant cursed at him, hurling threats and insults.  David reached into his bag and slung one of his stones at Goliath’s head and Goliath was felled. 

All fairy tales must have a moral so here it is:
Small stones can make a small difference or a big difference
Lots of small stones can make a big difference
Use your gifts and talents and contribute at least one small stone – it’s not hard to find them
While our stones may not “fell the Giant”, together our stones will at least get the Giant City’s attention and we may even trigger the changes in the Giant City that the residents so desperately need.

PS:  FORTITUDE REQUIRED