They Paved Paradise

How are you defending the institutions that are important to you?

As Joni Mitchell sang, "Don't it always seem to go that you don't know what you got 'til it's gone? They paved paradise and put up a parking lot." 

Ain't that the truth?

Until yesterday, the only Shakey's Pizza in Western Washington was in our neighborhood. I can count on one hand the times I went there, it was around when I was a kid, but it wasn’t an institution that was important to me.

The closure was announced about a week before it actually happened and I felt a pang of nostalgia but didn’t feel compelled to go myself but, the crowds were out the door that final week, literally wrapping around the block with people willingly waiting 2 hours for a table.

Prior to last week, though, the place was (mostly) empty anytime I'd been there.

That got me thinking about taking things for granted; what if our local Shakey’s had done even HALF of the business they did in their final week? If people had really supported that institution, I’d bet they’d still be serving up those too-sweet-sauced pizzas, wings and MoJo potatoes. (Flat rounds of battered, chicken-fried potato deliciousness.)

Shakey’s was a (thankfully painless) life lesson on Rule Number Two in Timothy Snyder's great book  “On Tyranny". 

Rule Two is: Defend Institutions.

So, with this Shakey’s example, I really got to thinking about where and how I want to actively participate and be present within the institutions and places I want to keep and am willing to defend:

VOTING

Roughly 32% of the voting eligible population voted for the 47th president. 31% for Harris, 1% for others and 36% of the voting eligible population did not vote at all. 68% of the eligible voters in the US did NOT vote for the 47th president. We must remember that.

I defend this institution by voting in every single election.

FREE PRESS

This one is tricky because I do see how the need for ratings drives up very skewed “news reporting". Because I’m in my crone phase, I remember when there weren’t talking head pundits on a 24-hour news cycle. We got our news from the local newspaper which was delivered to our home daily. I only see video news delivered in the “old-fashioned”, way, with little editorializing on social media (shout out to Aaron Parnas and V, with Under the Desk News). I get the majority of my news from the BBC, the AP and avoid the Washington Post entirely.

I defend this institution by SUBSCRIBING to my local newspaper and reading the same national stories from multiple sources.

PUBLIC LIBRARIES

I’m paraphrasing, but, a Texas teen protesting a book ban said it best when noting that no one who has ever banned a book has gone down in history as one of the “good guys”. The American library association, is a valuable resource and our public libraries are a valuable resource in their communities and I want to see them thrive.

I regularly visit my local library and always have books checked out.

CONCIOUS CONSUMPTION

Often the only power we have is the power of our dollars. You can support the institutions that share your beliefs by spending the majority of your dollars with them. Keeping your money local is also a great way to defend the institutions that are important to you.

I pay attention to who benefits from my money.

LIVE THEATRE

Just like reading gives us access to worlds outside our own, so does live theatre transport us and share stories that can have a positive impact on how we view the world or understand something that isn’t part of our day-to-day lives. 

I regularly attend, volunteer and perform at local theaters in my area.

PUBLIC EDUCATION

Children in America are currently assured of a free and appropriate public education for all. I intend to make sure it stays that way. My children are both in their 20’s but I still am deeply involved as an active and vocal advocate in our local school district. Do you attend board meetings? Look at their meeting agendas? Sit on any committees? You don’t have to be a parent of a school-aged child to be involved.

I am a former elected School Board member and still stay actively involved.

In the improv of life, it's important to "yes, and . . ." and support what has supported you.