It can be an eye-opening experience…I’m embarrassed to admit that in nearly 17 years on Maui, I never bothered to attend, or even pay much attention to, the workings of our local government. I voted naively and blindly trusted them to do the right thing, without even recognizing my relationship with “them.” I’m sure I am not the only one guilty of this and I’m afraid we are all currently paying the price of such ignorance. After all, if we had known two years ago (when both council members and mayor were up for election) what we know now, we may have made very different choices.
In the wake of the vacation rental issue, the airline crisis, the increase in gas prices (and every other item), the sudden enforcement of permit laws for small businesses and homeowners and the huge impact on the local economy, I’ve recently made a point of attending some of the Maui County Council meetings, county Planning Commission meetings and community meetings with the mayor.
It has been an eye-opening experience to discover how little I actually knew, and what a huge mistake it is to be led so blindly.
In the midst of this election year, when our council seats are coming up for a vote (not to mention the President of the United States!), I urge you to examine your relationship with the people who represent you—or perhaps even more importantly, their relationship with you. Just like I would recommend asking questions and listening to the answers with a potential love interest—I encourage you to ask questions, attend meetings and pay attention to what our county representatives—and the mayor—are standing for. In essence, their values become your laws and guidelines, so it is wise to pay more attention to our choices.
I used to naively think that one person in office couldn’t really make that much of a difference, due to the depth of the systems in place that make change challenging. However, it is clear that one person in a powerful position, like the mayor or the president, can make a huge positive or negative difference. Much like when choosing a spouse, when you cast a vote (or don’t bother to vote at all) you are choosing the people who make major decisions that affect your freedom, your business, your lifestyle, your community, and your finances.
This is clearly a “relationship” and could thus benefit from increased relationship skills and practices:
- Practice self-inquiry to get to know yourself better. What do you value? What is important to you? Notice what you have complained or wondered about and ask questions; know what you need to know.
- Educate yourself on the people you are getting involved with. What are their values? What is their experience? What do they bring to the table?
- Take responsible action. It is way more fun to blame other people for the way things are, but we have a lot more power—and thus responsibility—than we give ourselves credit for. When we play the “blame game” we render ourselves victims, but when we take responsibility for our experiences, we discover our power.
- Pay attention to the relationship over time. Just because it seemed a good choice at the beginning, the relationship will still need ongoing maintenance, attention and assessment. Pay attention to whether their actions over time match what was said to be important in the beginning.
If, like me, you have been ignorant as to who represents what whether in government or in your personal life, a golden opportunity is upon us to do things more wisely and play a major role in making things better both locally and globally, officially and personally.
With aloha,
Eve
Intellectual Foreplay Question of the Week:
What do you know about your government officials?
Love Tip of the Week:
Ignorance is not bliss, it is stupidity when you know better. Use some foresight so you aren’t disappointed in hindsight.
Eve Hogan, author of How to Love Your Marriage, Intellectual Foreplay, Virtual Foreplay, and Way of the Winding Path, is also the proprietor of The Sacred Garden, a nursery and healing sanctuary in Makawao. It is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. For coaching or speaking events, call (808) 573-7700. Website: www.EveHogan.com. Blog: www.AskEveAdvice.com. Send questions to AskEveAdvice@aol.com.