You are not alone. Alongside my career, and family I maintained an active civic life. As I neared retirement, people from my civic circles began discussing, what are we going to do now that we are retiring, what is the best use of our experience, knowledge, and networks? Jessica, please give this some thought. I welcome your ideas.
Now, the people I am talking about here are long-term activists and experienced organizers with deep historical knowledge and personal experience with organizing, the law, public policy and practices (plus connections and relationships). Recognizing the value of our civic work is not an ego trip – it is a responsibility. What we possess belongs to our communities, it is a shared trust, not a private one. When we die, our knowledge and experience will die with us, unless we find ways to pass it on.
Working in the civic arena, means working with people from all walks of life – including politicians and opponents. The work can be brutal. Most people can’t handle it and leave. People who stick with it discover an amazing sensibility emerges in place of ego. This sensibility is more powerful than any differences people have – religion, politics, education, money, race, or status. It pulls you up and out of the petty, then pushes you deep into the meaningful and enduring.
Nothing is more satisfying than the day elected officials vote yes on something you’d been working towards for 30 years. It also takes the sting out of every nasty jerk you had to deal with to help make it possible. The old people I am talking about right now, started working on change 20, 30 and 40 years ago, that is only coming to pass right now. We don’t have that kind of time to spend anymore.
None of us oldies have any desire to lead anything or anyone - period. Quite frankly, we are too testy to play nice anymore. We’ve all been through the co-opting users, the prima donnas running non-profits and the self-anointed leaders seeking celebrity and the spotlight.
We know how to navigate government and the law. We each have our own arena of expertise (e.g. land-use, public schools, labor law, public input, nonprofits, community organizing, linguistics, laws governing elected officials etc.) Our question is how can we pass this on? How can we best serve younger organizers and activists?
