Problem solvers wanted

We all have problems.  Sometimes, big problems.  And in my short 18 months on the Woodstock Town Council, I have noticed that we hear from people mostly when they have a problem.

Being an elected representative is pretty interesting, but you start to grow a thick skin, because you become a bit of a magnet for angry people.

I can identify with the 'angry person' camp, but now that I have a small role to play in local decision-making, I see how raw anger is really only the first stage in solving a problem.

It's a natural way for people to get motivated to speak up that something is wrong, but being angry on its own does very little to correct the situation and often serves to demoralize the other people involved.

Today I spent about five hours in various meetings related to how to improve Woodstock's downtown.  It was very heartening, despite the challenges that exist.  I find it really heartening to be in an environment where local people can speak frankly about problems that they see, with the goal of moving towards collective action and possible solutions.  If local people don't take responsibility for solving local problems, do we really think that higher levels of government can do a better job?  I have my doubts.

I wish our society had better methods of collective problem solving, and that we could value the process of getting together to improve things for the common good. We should encourage our young people to learn and practice good problem-solving skills.

It's not easy, solving real-life problems.  Most of the time, solutions can't simply be purchased, they have to be tailored to fit the particular local circumstances at hand.  This requires creativity, compromise, putting aside one's biases and learning to listen to other viewpoints.

The five hours I spent today are a fraction of the real time it's going to take to make a significant impact on the issues in downtown Woodstock.  But it's a reminder that change occurs when real people have a shared interest and are willing to set aside their differences and work together on something that matters to them.

Too often we forget that, and take our metaphorical toys and "go home" because we do not feel able to be part of a constructive proccess.  It's tempting to say screw it, but in the end, we all lose.  Anything worth having, is worth speaking up for, and is worth solving a few problems along the way.