Sunday Blog 57 – 16th October 2022
Yesterday I had the pleasure of attending the Town Team Convergence event held in Perth’s southern suburbs. It brought together people from Town Teams across different suburbs of Perth but also from our Midwest and South West – up to four hours drive away. Town teams are a partnership with community, business and local government to beautify local areas.
Alongside others I painted ugly asphalt–so exhilirating–and made a letter “C” to so we could make out the words “Connection” and “Community” in cardboard letters. We spelled this out over a pedestrian bridge for a moment and photo opportunity. The toots of one or two cars were like a standing ovation.
Today I am at a placemaking event held in a northern suburb of Perth to encourage the development of a piazza in a car park adjacent to a busy road. Children and families are having a turn painting ugly asphalt. There are politicians on hand who are promising follow through on the work required to make the piazza a reality. But none of it would have happened without a grassroots push from people in the community to make it a reality. Many unpaid hours have seen this idea come to life.
Several years ago despite my hectic work schedule I re-joined my neighbourhood association. It was as a form of therapy from the often soulless and ineffective process of creating policies, frameworks and reform reports. The practical reality of doing something at neighbourhood level was and is intoxicating.
I’m reminded of the interesting Brene Brown interview with Dan Pink, the author of The Power of Regret.
“What’s your passion is a stupid freaking question…The question we should be asking ourselves is… “‘What do you do when nobody’s watching? What do you do because it’s part of you?”
https://brenebrown.com/podcast/the-power-of-regret/
Community work is part of me. What’s your thang?