The One Way

Sometimes when I talk to people about the future of Richmond, they present The One Way that the city will thrive again.

We just need to get a big automotive factory here, and then Richmond will succeed.

We just need this change in elected leadership, and then Richmond will succeed.

We just need to fund the arts community, and then Richmond will succeed.

We just need to get rid of that old building, and then Richmond will succeed.

In their mind, The One Way is the singular idea that needs to be implemented in order to get the city where we want it to be. Until we go The One Way, everything else is not really going to make a difference.

I say, beware of the person who thinks they have the one solution to all of our problems.

Instead, what if there are 10 really good ways to make Richmond succeed? What if there are 100 good ways? What if there are 1,000 ways? What if there are 10,000 ways or more?

We don’t all have to work on the same thing. We don’t all have to rally behind the best and most well-presented idea. We can each work on making Richmond a better place in the way that makes the most sense to us. In the way that is most possible for us.

Yes, there’s value in pooling resources, in eliminating fragmentation and overlap.

Yes, it’s important to build shared vision and get public buy-in for big ideas.

But not at the expense of doing anything at all. Not at the expense of waiting around for the best possible idea ever. Not at the expense of people who are ready to try new things but are told not to because it’s not a part of The One Way.

There’s no one right path to a thriving Richmond, Indiana. If there were, we’d already have found it and taken it by now.

So, look for the people who are trying lots of ideas to make Richmond a better place. Look for the people who are working on quirky little projects that seem a little narrow in their focus. Look for the people who have crazy ideas that don’t seem to have anything to do with making Richmond thrive. Give them your attention, and when possible, your support.

With The One Way, we wait and hope.

With 10, 100, 1,000, even 10,000 ideas in some stage of development or implementation, we move forward.