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HANCOCK COUNTY, INDIANAA6
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Opinion
O
ver the past month I’ve
been stalked by the
singular question: What if?
What if, returning from the
grocery, I’m overwhelmed by one
of the roaming bands of bigots
spawned by Indiana’s enactment
of a Religious Freedom Restora-
tion Act, as Connecticut’s gover-
nor claims?
What if Illinois Gov. Bruce
Rauner tries to make good on his
promise to rip the economic guts
out of Indiana?
Agitated by Rauner’s remarks,
I emailed Illinois State Rep.
Charles Meier, whose district lies
in the middle of Illinois corn coun-
try, to ask if he supported his gov-
ernor, but my query was rebuffed.
What if there was a reason for
his silence? What if there was
something afoot, something large
and sweeping, like D-Day, or un-
derhanded, like the Tet Offensive?
What if crazed Illinois corn
farmers were coalescing into a
cloud of hate fomented by years
of economic discrimination, pre-
paring to descend upon the de-
fenseless burgs of Hillsdale or
Rockville, lying quietly just
100 miles out from Springfield
within easy range of a large John
Deere at cruising speed?
Hordes of industrial farm im-
plements combining houses into
oblivion, the survivors scattered
and fouling themselves in horror
and despair.
Sure, Illinois might be more
concerned about its $9 billion bud-
get deficit, but there’s no telling
what a destitute corn farmer will
do once provoked.
I was falling to The Fear. Not
just any fear, like fear of the den-
tist, but the big Fear, the one that
lurks in the ether with Truth and
Love and Death.
I was unsettled and decided to
inventory the threat state by state.
Starting with my immediate sit-
uation in Florida, where I hap-
pened to be on business, I know
firsthand a full third of the popu-
lace here has no idea where Indi-
ana is, the second third and then
some are too self-congratulatory
on escaping wherever they were
to care, and the final 30 percent
will not admit to such knowledge
for reasons known only to them.
Texas is large and formida-
ble, but sooner or later, it will fig-
ure out how to leave the Union al-
together and have nothing to do
with anyone.
California is menacing; there
are nearly as many Californians
as there are Chinese. But Cali-
fornia is waterless, panting like a
dog in August, and any attacking
force would certainly wither be-
fore clearing the high Mojave.
Besides, the whole place will
probably spontaneously combust
by autumn.
Best to keep focused on the
smaller territories, like Connecti-
cut, where they are pure and tol-
erant of all with the possible ex-
ceptions of Hoosier bigots and the
misogynistic clans of Kentucky.
Then another thought began
to seep in: What if I didn’t give
a rodent’s rear for what any-
one thought?
What if I just continued getting
through the world one day at a
time? Occasionally, tripping over
the inspired moment, but more
often than not falling short.
Diving deep for something larg-
er than myself but likelier than
not settling for the safety of shal-
low water.
Making the mistakes that men
make and then making them
right as best a man can do.
What if I drove past the Illinois
economic militia on my way to
Wrigley Field and flipped it a single-
finger salutation, knowing full well
the fine folk of Hillsdale were hun-
kered down and ready for them?
What if I just chilled out?
What if?
Jim Mayfield is a former Daily Re-
porter staff writer. He lives in Irvington.
M
any people are afraid to
face the inconsistency of
their words. The notion
of ironing it out can be tiring or
make them feel embarrassed,
inferior, even scared.
Others are determined to face
their inconsistent thoughts and
deal with them.
Such a person was Darrell. Like
most people I know, he was afraid
to believe in an optimum future
because he didn’t consider him-
self worthy. Fear of disappoint-
ment is another term for that.
As a result, his thinking in
various areas of his competen-
cies always stopped short of
what he hoped for down deep.
He was surprised and flattered
again and again when I made
obvious observations about his
skill set and how it could be put
to further use.
My job was to draw informa-
tion out of Darrell that would
make all of this obvious to him.
Otherwise, he couldn’t move
forward. If he could see the good
stuff coming out of him, he would
know it was indeed his own.
The method would require
surprising him with certain
kinds of questions — hit him
broadside when he least sus-
pected it and break his rhythm
of giving stale answers to impor-
tant issues.
This could work only because
he agreed to be interrupted.
People who aren’t comfort-
able with success put road-
blocks in front of their progress.
They invent justifications for
avoiding success by cunningly
undersizing their potential and
tearing themselves down. The
more they fear failure, the more
passionately they defend their
self-destruction.
Darrell’s cherished goal was
an unusually complex commu-
nity goal that only people of his
caliber will accomplish.
I began asking questions that
he answered with cliches. Then I
showed him how those respons-
es compared to what a person of
his competence might say when
actually thinking like an expert.
The point sunk in. Darrell be-
gan talking at a level of exper-
tise that matched his experi-
ence, and from there on out, I
was feasting on one insight after
another — from him.
His brain went wild. One night,
he texted me and said, “Man,
you have really uncorked me!”
Within weeks, he was in a new
groove, and everyone around
him was confirming it. His prog-
ress continues increasing. He’s
an exceptional resource to local
and overseas communities.
How did I uncork him? By in-
terrupting his conversations and
thoughts with unexpected ques-
tions. Not everyone needs this
tactic, but he did, and when I
revealed the trick to him, he put
himself on constant guard of
my questions and made a habit
of thinking more creatively and
thoroughly than ever before.
Darrell succeeded in answer-
ing the two big questions almost
all of us ask during the seasons
of life: Who am I at this point,
and what do I want to do?
He’s still getting comfortable
with his increasing success
and the clarity and courage to
be himself.
I’ve known since I was a
young man what I wanted to do,
and I’ve done much of it. For in-
stance, I accomplished all my
career goals as a classroom
teacher — while making head-
way with other, intricate, longi-
tudinal goals simultaneously.
With them came plenty of
times when I was dizzy with con-
fusion about the next step. I still
get lost in the fog sometimes.
Sorting our thoughts is easier
when we use good questions. I’ve
conducted interviews most of
my life with all kinds of people,
mostly to portray their identities.
But I’m like anyone else — ask-
ing good questions is easier to do
on other people than on myself.
To discover or confirm who you
are at this point in life and what
you really, really want to do re-
quires looking reality in the eye, no
matter how frightful your inconsis-
tent thinking may look to you.
Max Russell is owner of Max and
Max Communications and formerly
taught Spanish in Southern Hancock
schools. You can contact him via his
website, maxtrussell.com.
Fear a roadblock to
meeting your success
Hoosier stalked by the
big question, ‘What if?’
I
read this article about a
Japanese concept called
wabi-sabi, which is the idea of
intentionally appreciating things
that are not perfect.
I think this is difficult for us in
our Western culture, with its em-
phasis on consumerism. We have
been conditioned from years of ad-
vertising to want shiny new stuff
and to expect uniformity in the food
we eat, the clothes we wear and the
items we have in our homes.
But if we are honest with our-
selves, it is often the unique that
gives us the most pleasure, and
frequently, we have the most af-
fection for what has withstood the
test of time. I think this is why
marketers have to work so hard
to convince us that we constantly
need to buy new products.
I think this idea includes appre-
ciating what we already have and
being thankful, rather than find-
ing the flaws with everything and
deciding we need something else.
I read once that Persian rug
makers intentionally make a mis-
take when weaving so that the
finished product won’t be flaw-
less and therefore presumably a
source of pride for the craftsman.
This really stuck with me be-
cause it told me that absolute per-
fection wasn’t their overall goal.
I had a sweater that was a
hand-me-down from my dad. It
wore out at the elbows, and the
sleeves were coming apart from
the body. So I cut off the top and
made it into a skirt.
I love the idea of repurposing
something so that I can continue
using it. Interesting to note that I
have not had the experience that
many women report, that of go-
ing somewhere and finding some-
one else dressed like them.
As you might imagine, I have a
soft spot in my heart for local in-
dependent restaurants. I know
some people may find comfort in
knowing just what to expect, such
as in a franchise. But there is a
whole block of ethnic places in
Bloomington where I point to the
menu and hope I’ll end up with
something I like, meaning, a dish
without meat or onions. I’ve not
always been successful, but then, I
know what to avoid the next time.
Giving people some slack goes
along with this.
Allow others — and yourself—
to be human.
I saw a quote floating around
on Facebook that I just love:
“Not my circus; not my mon-
keys.” This means that we’re not
responsible for everybody else,
which means that we don’t have
to keep track of everything they
do wrong. Nor do we have to try
to change them.
For the record, I’m not there
yet. I am the Imperial Empress of
Assumptions and Grand Duchess
of Trying to Fix Everybody Else,
with substantial land holdings in
Meddling in Their Business.
Having said all that, obviously we
need balance. We should not endure
abuse from others or use it as an
excuse to convince others that we
have a right to treat them poorly.
I think that chess has actual-
ly helped me to learn how to deal
with people better, as unlikely as
this might seem. The irony here
is that I started playing more be-
cause I was so frustrated at how
behind the curve I feel I am with
social interaction.
I do these chess problems in
which the computer gives you a
snapshot of the board, and you
decide the best move.
I’ve had puzzles that stumped
me; I was sure I had tried all pos-
sible moves. Then I hit the solu-
tion button and realize there was
something I didn’t see.
I’ve discovered that this teach-
es me that there’s always another
way of looking at things — even
when I think I’ve exhausted all
options, it’s likely there is some-
thing that I overlooked.
I think this whole wabi-sabi con-
cept is summed up in a quote from
A. A. Milne, the creator of Winnie
the Pooh: “Weeds are flowers, too,
once you get to know them.”
Stephanie Haines is a writer from
Greenfield who now lives in Blooming-
ton. She can be contacted through her
website, stephaniehaines.com.
Editorial board
Chuck Wells, Vice president of HNE Media
Noelle Steele, Editor-in-chief
Daily Reporter
MAX RUSSELL
JIM MAYFIELD
Forgiving
mistakes
of others
STEPHANIE HAINES
Candidates showed class
Hats off to the candidates for mayor in the
spring primary election.
Too often in the news business, we see
candidates in contentious races stray from
the issues and resort to personal attacks
lobbied at their opponents.
It leaves a sour taste for voters, who some-
times feel they are casting their vote for the
least unfriendly of the contenders instead of
the person whose vision they share. But that
wasn’t the case in this year’s primary elec-
tion for mayor.
Incumbent Chuck Fewell and challenger
Judy Swift led clean campaigns, focusing
on their plans for revitalizing downtown
Greenfield and how they would make them
a reality if elected. Neither disparaged the
other while attempting to tell voters what set
them apart.
The deadline for Democrats and Libertar-
ians to slate candidates is July 6. Should
there be more challengers in municipal
races, they would be wise to follow the ex-
ample set in May.
Program needs local support
Jobs for America’s Graduates is taking a
positive step toward improving local schools’
dropout rates by pairing students with
internship opportunities in fields they want
to pursue.
For some of these students, who have been
deemed at risk of dropping out by their
guidance counselors, work that proves there
really is life beyond high school is just what
they need to stay motivated.
To date, JAG leaders have had little success
securing partnerships with local businesses.
City and county employers, especially those
in trade professions, need to show their sup-
port by extending opportunities to the next
generation of workers.
For some students, a one-on-one relation-
ship with a mentor in a field that interests
them could make all the difference in their
decision to continue their schooling.
Cleaning up lawns worthwhile
If you’re a Greenfield resident who has
looked at your neighbor’s messy property
with disdain, take heart; the city is stepping
up to help.
It’s an effort that not only protects property
values but should remind residents their
voices are being heard.
Greenfield Police Chief John Jester told the
Daily Reporter the effort to crack down on
problem properties is the result of a handful
of complaints from area residents.
As a result, city officials are ramping up
enforcement of local ordinances that govern
the state of personal property. That means
your neighbor whose lot is overgrown and
heaped with trash and junk cars stands to
get a visit from a city employee.
Keeping our city beautiful is everyone’s
responsibility, but there’s only so much an
unhappy resident can do to encourage a
neighbor to get on board.The city has given
residents a much-needed outlet for com-
plaints, and it’s encouraging to see those with
messy properties being held responsible.
QUICKTAKES
DAILY REPORTER FILE PHOTO
Then-mayoral candidate Judy Swift and Mayor Chuck
Fewell shake hands after their debate April 7 at the Han-
cock County Public Library.