Don’t get angry, get involved

There’s a car that parks next to my apartment building everyday, with a bumper sticker that says “if you aren’t enraged, you aren’t paying attention.” Sometimes it feels that way, that there are so many things going on that defy human decency, that there is injustice everywhere you look. But I, personally try not to slip into that mindset too often, because that isn’t any way to live. One of things I have really noticed about America is that although there are always reasons to rage against the machine, there are also boundless opportunities to personally make a difference, particularly on a local level. This past week I came across two excellent examples of that. On Monday morning I had the privilege of sitting down with a group of volunteer coordinators from Sammamish and Issaquah. This group of dedicated citizens was reaching out for help, asking how they could better tap into the resource of volunteers and serve the goals of their organizations, which ranged from helping at-risk teenagers to putting on an annual community festival. The Saturday prior I found myself at Issaquah City Hall, probably not the number one place I would dream of being on a Saturday afternoon. But I was not alone. A small but growing band of citizens, with the backing of the city council, has taken it upon themselves to find ways in which Issaquah can secure its environmental, financial and social sustainability. It is a broad scope indeed, and one that might appear overwhelming if you look up at the mountain for too long. But one thing that I soon learned about the Sustainable Issaquah group is that they are all about real outcomes, and actual grassroots projects. Not for them the endless dialogues about the corporate homogenization of our communities, or the evil of the empire. They get together to make real changes, changes that will be noticed and appreciated by their neighbors and colleagues. Like Jeff Youngstrom, of Getting Around Issaquah Together (GAIT), a young guy trying to reduce our reliance on cars, and discover opportunities for cycling, walking and catching the bus around the Eastside. His target isn’t bringing down Detroit, or taking over King County Metro, but more humble, immediate goals — a map of walking routes, information on bikes, organizing groups of citizens to keep the pathways clean. Or like the AtWork community garden. Faced with a crisis of poor nutrition and the reliance on industrial food corporations to feed us, what can we possibly do? Starting a community garden is genuine action, and just the kind of action that has been shown to increase the livability of cities and the satisfaction and health of its residents all around America. Meeting with the volunteers and the Sustainable Issaqauh group reminded me that although being enraged by something is fair enough motivation, it is, in the end, a waste of energy if it remains directionless. Community leaders and groups create more and more opportunities everyday for those who want to do their bit, whether it is with a handful of seeds or an hour or two sharing your knowledge with others.

Contact Issaquah Reporter Staff Writer Jake Lynch at editor@issaquah-reporter.com.

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