rosewood canyon - setbacks in preserving open space

As many of you know, a few months ago I blogged about Rosewood Canyon, and the efforts of our local folks to preserve the area.

We made great progress, and everything was looking good. Our residents wrote letters, made calls, sent emails, handed out flyers, went before Council, attended neighborhood meetings... in grass roots fashion, they did as much as they could in the ways they could. And we made a difference. We got the measure we wanted into the Open Space and Greenways Plan. The future of the Canyon was looking good.

Until now.

Unfortunately, some folks have decided they don't agree with the idea of a trail. I respect their opinions, but I'd really sad at the result of their advocacy. The Council has now instructed Staff to pull the trail from the Plan after hearing from this handful of residents.

What's important here is this: this decision isn't just about the trail being built or not built -- it has the potential to erode the commitment made previously to preserving the Canyon overall. For me, it represents some of what I've already seen on the trail that does exist: a few private residents being able to influence more broadly than the many. It's frustrating, it's confusing and it's reminding me that I'm so NOT a politician and am out of my element! With my travel schedule, and where I access my news, it's hard to stay on top of what's happening locally, even in areas I want to be informed about. I'm adding the keyword feed to my Netvibes page in hopes this will help me stay more on top of things!

In the meantime, help support Rosewood Canyon! You can read the article about the recent decision (and you'll see a comment from me in response to it as well under the screen name lplato) here: http://news.rgj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008808210362

the waver

Last night I read this article in the Reno Gazette Journal, and it hit me like the proverbial ton of bricks.

Ed Carlson, better known simply as "The Waver" is one of the greatest inspirations in my life.

I remember as a kid driving into Reno, and before we ever got in the car I'd giddily ask my mom, "Do you think we'll see The Waver today?" Virtually every trip we took, either on our way to or from town, we did see him, walking the long walk down old US 395 between Reno and Carson City. No matter how wet or wicked the weather, The Waver was there, smiling, walking and waving.

It was a serious mission for me as a child to locate him along the road. Not a competition -- not a "who would find him first" -- a mission. And whoever spotted him would exclaim, "There he is! It's The Waver!" and then all the passengers would echo "The Waver!" and we'd all wave frantically back at him through the windows. The energy and joy that radiated through the car for those brief seconds as we passed by, arms and hands flailing, smiles on every face, had incredible power. That moment of waving had us all suddenly bursting with energy, buzzing with conversation, thrilled to go on to the next destination in our day.

In those days, I didn't know anything about The Waver at all. I didn't know why he walked so far every day, and I didn't know why he waved. I was curious, sure. Sometimes I would ask my mom, and turned out, she didn't have a clue either. And really, it didn't matter much why. I was simply delighted every time I saw The Waver.

And that never changed. For over 30 years, The Waver walked and waved in my hometown. Every time I came back from a school holiday, I would look for him. As the years moved on, he had changed his route, had some tough times health-wise, and it was harder to find him. But every time I saw him, I exclaimed the familiar words, "There he is! It's The Waver!" and waved frantically at him through the windows, and that same rush of delight came over me.

My mom bought me The Waver's book a few years back and I got to read a little about this man and his mission. The Waver writes, "Thirty-two years ago, I had an awakening. It came to me that I should start walking and be love. I should express love by waving.”

The Waver chose his own path in this life. There are folks who disparage him, question his motives and attack his life choices, both the ones he made before he began to walk and after. I do not know The Waver personally. I do know that every life has its share of shadows and light. And I know that for me, his walking and waving, touched my life profoundly and made my days better. He touched hundreds of thousands of people with that simple, pure mission. His is a ministry of joy. If anyone today stops for just one moment and thinks, "How can I be love? How can I express love to the world?" I think that is a decided victory.

food for thought

"What is it about the American obsession with productivity and responsibility that makes it so difficult for us to allow ourselves a little time to solve the puzzle of our own lives, before it’s too late? "
-- Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love