The Sum is Greater

 

April 30, 2024

My vote is my kids' vote

Stephen Covey wrote The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (1989). One of the habits is synergy. Another way to look at this habit is that the sum is greater than the parts, which means you do more together than you do separately. And if that's not a way to describe what's needed for voting behavior during election time, I don't know what is. We're all not gonna have the same opinions on everything but the reality is if we want to move the needle for things on a local level, on a state level, and on a national level, the people who have the ability to vote have to see the benefit of collective action. Nowhere is that more important for me right now than in the southern sector of Dallas County.

We don't get the luxury to pretend that we all live in a bubble and that each of our decisions only affects us. That's never been true! Although we operate in a very individualistic approach to a lot of things in the United States, the reality is it is a flawed state of mind to dismiss how colle
ctive thinking impacts everybody. There is a term coined by C. Wright Mills called sociological imagination. (The concept of sociological imagination may have existed long before Mills. He is the one that gets credited for coining the term.) The premise behind it is everything affects everything, and everyone affects everyone. And sometimes when it comes to voting, some of us forget that not voting is supporting the majority vote. Some of us forget that if you say no to a solution on the ballot and the no votes are the majority, some of us forget that's only part of the action steps. When a possible solution is placed on the ballot and the majority of voters vote no, it's just as important for the voters who voted no to be part of another solution to address the problem that was attempted to be solved by what was placed on the ballot. On the other hand, if a solution on a ballot wins, voters need to hold those in charge of implementing the voter-supported solution a reality. We don't get the luxury to be lukewarm voters. Voting isn't simply what you do at the ballot; voting should involve more. Voting should involve what you do to get ready to vote. Voting should involve what you do after all the votes are cast and a final decision is made about what was placed on the ballot. Yet for many of us just vote and walk away. What I'm asking of my fellow voters is to do more. What I'm asking is that collectively, we #DoBetter and that we #DoMore. I recognize that the results that are needed where I live can't be done by me alone. We need collective action. We need people to be informed. If you are reading this and you are part of a region or city where voting could improve education, this blog post is for you too.

I have had the privilege to teach dual credit classes, serve as a PTA officer, and serve in the All-Pro Dads organization in my Texas hometown within Dallas County. I've had the privilege to see the unmet needs of my city’s ISD (independent school district).  There are so many needs that students in my city need to be successful, but they can't do it alone. Improving their behavior or standardized test scores will not be enough. They can't simply do it with the teachers because the teachers don't have enough. They can't simply do it with ISD administrators because administrators don't have enough. They can't even do it with parents and community members who are/are willing to volunteer. None of what I have written is enough. The reality is it takes more. It takes more of us because the sum is greater than the individual parts. The groups I have listed are not the sum; they are parts of the sum. Synergy is required! And all those individuals cannot be effective in serving the students of Cedar Hill ISD, without the entire sum.

Election day for municipalities is May the 4th. That's kind of cool, because it kind of lines up with the whole Jedi mantra found in the film series Star Wars. May the fourth be with you, which is a play on the words, may the force be with you! In the film series of Star Wars, the Jedi do not rely on their individual strength, but also the strength of all the Jedi that have come before them. I'm hoping that if you read this and this does not apply to you, I hope you will share it with someone who does. My hope is that if you're reading this and it does apply to you, that you see the benefits in voting for steps to start bringing real long-term solutions in education that will benefit the students of Cedar Hill ISD because it cannot be done with you. I am not naive to miss the fact that to vote in favor of what's on the ballot might be an inconvenience financially…that it might require future sacrifice. But if our goal is to leave our cities, our counties, our state we live in, and this nation better than what we inherited, then we must be willing to think beyond the moment. We must be willing to not be stuck in what has been or what is because it will blind us from seeing the possibility of what can be. A better future cannot happen without the sum of the voters to make that happen. I hope this Saturday you consider rocking the vote in favor of ways that will make public education better in the United States better than it is, and to move the needle closer to what it should be.

Rock the vote!
Elgrie J. Hurd, III
- A Voter Wanting a Better Future!

 

 

Empathy Ain’t Enough

 

October 31, 2023

Warning: This blog post isn't for everyone.
 

Empathy is a start, but it ain’t enough. Being an ally is a start, but if you stay there, just own your willingness to bow out of the situation. I am looking for partnerships. Someone to fight with me and make my struggle their struggle. I'm not seeking people who have good intentions but are doing more harm than good. In other words, jellyfish syndrome is not welcomed here! Your version of caring and my version of caring are different. Everyone ain’t courageous enough and that’s OK. But if you claim to be here for the work, please know what that means. You got my back…I can trust you and you trust me. You are not afraid to be inconvenienced for something greater than yourself and the social media likes. That ain't everyone…and that's OK. I am not interested in an unconscious diversity checklist. I am looking for others who are willing to bring a reckoning to the status quo…is that you?!

Empathy is NOT teamwork. I'm looking teammates! 

You saying you know Jesus ain’t enough. The Jesus I know is here for everyone who is willing to follow Him. He's here to meet you where you are to get you where you need to be. He wants to offer grace and expects accountability. Shaming and hatred are not His tactics. So, I’m over the ones who say only God can judge but wanna judge everyone without being judged. That ain't empathy…that's elitism. Miss me with that!

I’m looking for people who can distinguish guilt from empathy. They ain’t the same. Guilt is often a temporary mindset. When the guilt fades, will you fade away too? When the cameras turn away, will you turn away too? All these schools throughout the USA are asking their local community to invest…will you stop at empathy, or will you show up because empathy ain't action?

Voting for status quo without solutions hurts all

Will you vote 🗳? Will you vote to invest, or will you push away your burdens and responsibilities? If you vote no, what's your plan of action to fill the need? Are you limited to wishful thinking and comments? Will comments like "that's too bad'' serve as your means of contributing?! Will you continue to rely on misinformation because you refuse to educate yourself on the facts? There's a proverb that states "talking doesn't cook rice." Your empathy doesn't increase funding…. your empathy doesn't stop the roofs of school buildings from leaking when it rains… it doesn't close the digital divide or keep teachers in schools. So, what's your next step after empathy because empathy by itself doesn’t create solutions?

Let's be clear, this is not a shame session… any shame felt by this blog post has an internal source and does not have origins externally from my words that you have read. But don't stop reading this! Stopping is easy…it's the cop out…Be brave and keep pushing. Whether you act or not, the need for change is here. The time is now!

When empathy is no longer enough for you, I'll be here ready to work side by side with you. My hope is this will be sooner than later. “The work is large supply, but the workers are few.”

Be well and empower!

-Elgrie J.