My dears, at some point one has to try and make a difference. To be told that one person can not make a difference is but so much tosh. Like any 'urban legend', if repeated oft enough it takes on life of own and tends to be taken as truth.
Dear reader, were all to feel, that it would be a sad world we live in. How horrid to think that due to things being one way, change is impossible, that once turned to custard, things can not be sorted out and made proper. Over the past few years, many have told MOI that the rose-coloured glasses worn are bit dated, that one has to view the world, or patch of earth lived on, with all of the grit kept in place.
Past places lived have offered challenge and opportunity to try and make a difference. Results were mixed. Lives had been turned round and social change happened to a degree. At some point one comes to realization that lasting change will only come about if the folks one is trying to save are truly interested in accepting a new path and stop clinging to the attitude of 'entitlement'. Truth be told, there are some who feel more comfy living in a blighted community as it enables them to be benefits cheats and lazy layabout scroungers. It is OK for drugs to be sold and the poison it is continue to ruin any hope of a better life. More's the pity that.
"In order to turn a sow's ear into a silk purse, it helps to start with a silk sow."
Linda be that 'silk sow'. Abused and forgot, folks lost footing on life's path and settled for less than deserved. Regardless, the community is still there, just waiting for the dead branches to be cut away and the ground to be watered and made ready for new growth to spring forth. Sounds a bit much? Depends on who you chat with and what you have see of the level of interest in being made more brilliant.
This old geezer has been blessed. Met many lovely folks in Linda and community round. Am just willing to listen to stories told and try to reach out to folks. Grand as that may be, it is for naught unless you capture like minded folks along the path, willing to join in the efforts. I have been gobsmacked at how much support is out there.
To be true, it started with top copper of Yuba County promising to take an active interest. Add in Supervisor Andy Vasquez, toss in Supervisor John Nicoletti and mix in the coppers and ordinary folks willing to do extra-ordinary things, and you begin to get the picture. One has to also give credit to Murray Kay, who partnered with and has come to see that sorting out the Linda Villa was the morally right thing to do.
Community activism is multi-layered. One has to have more than a vision. Helps to have tools to right some of the social ills that plague a troubled community. Being able to fix up flats and offer good housing to deserving folks. Folks who have limited cash but want to be safe and responsible. A place that children can live and play without fear of coming into contact with the wrong sort.
Taking a huge hit in the pocketbook and getting bad folks out of units. There is no future in renting to folks who deal poison or use it. Expose their children to a poison that can ruin young lives. There is no high to be got from poison, it is a complete downer and destroys all it touches.
The snaps featured with this post tell part of the story. Horrid it is that folks just hurl broken furniture round bin and into. Linda Villa is not to be in business of rubbish removal, it just plays out that way. Bad folks who refuse to accept any responsibility. Why should they, they live in a throw-away society and see selves as throw-aways. Tenants and folks round who have no shame in 'dumping' on the Linda Villa. In order to bring lasting change one has to suffer a few blows and this be one of them.
Rounding up 17 strays and removing has made life better at the Linda Villa. No one is ever going to get this old geezer to feel that it was humane to feed growing population of cats. Or that it is OK to allow dogs to poo where they may and not clean up after. Not a popular action, but one MOI can live with. Am not here to be everyone's best mate. One has to knock a few heads together.
I abhor crude and filthy language, almost as much as I loathe folks who spew hatred. Racial or lifestyle. Unacceptable. Having been viewed with hate in life, am acutely aware of how horrid it be. To teach children hate words continues the cycle.
This old geezer is far from perfect. I am trying to be more perfect and to make a difference. How grand to know that path is filled with like minded folks.
"If you change things in one way, you change them in other ways." I passionately believe that.
For the first time in ages am of the opinion that social activism in Linda can turn round the community. Folks deserve better than received in past. Public opinion is being changed, and Linda, the Linda Villa, the brilliant new neighbours moving in and the old neighbours cleaning up act are making that easier and easier.
I have been called a shameless self promoter in getting ink in local newspaper. If that be price paid to draw attention to patch of earth live on, so be it. More's the pity that more do not do.
Nothing kills a community more quickly than apathy. From all heard about Linda, the good folks did nothing to correct the impression that Linda was DEAD. Folks were too quick to jump on the bandwagon and spread the rumour that all was lost in this community. To be true, there is loads of blame to go round.
Local Merchants forgot that customers have to be gone after, cultivated to the point that they truly want to come to Linda to shop, eat or live. The Air Force community has not been brilliant either. Linda is at the door step to the Air Force base, any guess how many of the folks stationed there live in Linda? What about the local college? Do many of the students lived round?
Linda has been robbed of its personality. So much so, the postcode for Linda is Marysville. How silly is that? Linda matters so little that it can not even proclaim self in the post code?
Call me daft, and it may well apply to some degree. I have propensity to be pedantic. Some might even go so far as to say shrill. Whatever. Truth be told, I live in this community. I want to see it be as brilliant as possible. Want more and more folks to step forward and try to make a difference. Passionately want folks in Yuba County to know that Linda contains lovely folks who are part of what makes the county a special place to live.
What I want and what I will get are two different things. That is just the way of it, my dears. I will just continue to bang on for change.
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