Corrections or additions?
This article was prepared for the
January 9, 2002 edition of U.S. 1 Newspaper. All rights
reserved.
Looking Back, And Ahead
U.S. 1 asked members of the community to share their
reflections of the past year and resolutions for 2002. Below are
comments
relating to corporate or institutional missions. For more personal
resolutions, please turn to page 43.
James Hyman
remembers why his bank did not close early on September 11 and uses
that as a basis for his 2002 resolution.
staff members are close and we are a small institution looking to
become successful in a very big marketplace, and we just thought it
was best to stay together. Anyone who had concerns about their family
went home. But we had events unfolding on television, and staff chose
to remain here. We wanted our customers to know that we were still
in business and that everything would be handled as best as it could
be."
"The goal of our bank is to reconfirm the commitment of treating
people respectfully. We could see the expression on people’s faces,
both customers and employees. In this environment, everyone pulls
together. In spite of the turmoil, this environment was something
you could count on.
"We approach 2002 with a resolve to fulfill the commitment to
the communities we service. We need things we can cling to, to keep
our lives normal."
Mary Harrison
in Lawrenceville, says that after September 11 "customers were
flocking to the shop, saying, `this is such a calm, peaceful place
to be.’ They were looking for a place to be that was safe." Her
resolution:
customers
to not only shop but to relax and enjoy themselves. My goal for 2002:
peace and tranquility.
Emily Mann
theater
offered a community experience in this excerpt from a recent McCarter
newsletter:
September
11 finding my footing, but as I have been reassessing what we do,
I have found inspiration and a renewed sense of purpose. I was
grateful
to be in previews for "Romeo and Juliet" immediately following
the attacks, both because it gave me a focus and because that play
speaks so deeply to loss and the terrible legacy of hate. We reopened
our doors on September 12. I cannot tell you how many people
approached
me afterward to tell me how much it meant to them to come to the
theater
and to see that play. For them, being part of a community watching
"Romeo and Juliet" was a restorative.
One of the most uplifting moments of these past weeks occurred at
a McCarter jazz concert in October. It was a tribute to jazz greats
Miles Davis and John Coltrane, and after the first phenomenal number,
Herbie Hancock talked to a very sad and shaken audience about why
jazz matters — especially at this particular moment in time. I
cannot quote him directly, but the essence of his message was that
great jazz is about three things that are essential for all of us
to go on: trust, risk-taking, and the courage to leap into the unknown
together. As the crowd shouted and stomped its agreement, I realized
he was also providing a true definition of art.
When the band started to play its next astonishing number, we, the
audience, were elated, and I had to add a fourth component: hope.
Art at its best gives one hope, even when the art itself asks us to
travel to challenging and emotionally complex worlds, as is the case
with Dael Orlandersmith’s riveting new play "Yellowman," now
onstage, and our February/March production of Edward Albee’s "All
Over."
Theater tells us stories about ourselves in ways that no other medium
can. It reminds us of what it is to be human, and because it is live,
it is only "finished" at the moment of performance, with the
audience as a creative collaborator. During these difficult days,
we must now, more than ever, keep telling our stories together —
live. Therein lies the hope.
M. Kitty Getlik
Community College, offered these reflections and hopes:
time our family members are so spread out. A typical evening might
find one child at soccer, another at Girl Scouts, the other at a
friend’s
house, one parent still at work, and the other doing volunteer work.
So in the case of a terrorist attack it could be hard to confirm that
your whole family is safe and sound. I think perhaps this year
families
will work on doing more things together rather than separately. Prior
to September 11 I thought how decadent it was for people to allow
teenagers to have cell phones. Now I am seriously considering getting
one for my soon-to-be eight-year-old, so I can quickly confirm her
safety.
As an organization the Kelsey Theater has always been known as the
family theater, offering events the whole family can enjoy and attend
together. The arts have always been, not only a reflection of life,
but a way to reinforce positive values and achieve catharsis. Art
can cheer you up in times of sadness. I hope that in trying times
like these more people will avail themselves of the plethora of
artistic
offerings in our area, as we are lucky to have such wonderful
galleries,
theaters, concert halls and arts institutions so close to home.
Christopher Rice
EACH DAY, through December 31, the New York Times
devoted
an entire page to honor those who died on September 11. The length
and tone of each obituary was the same whether the deceased was the
head of a bond firm or a cook at Windows on the World. The profiles
told stories — painting a vivid portrait about the work, family,
hobbies, and accomplishments of each individual. Having read these
for months, I could often tell if a person had a passion for his or
her job or was simply tolerating work for the paycheck.
In a world where we spend so much time in the workplace, those who
have a passion for their work are lucky indeed. The fire fighters
profiled always loved their jobs, their sense of mission, and their
colleagues. After them, it’s a flip of the coin — not related
to position or station in life — as to who seemed to find
fulfillment
in their work. I feel sorry for those who didn’t.
Although BlessingWhite’s mission has always resonated with me, this
year’s events have magnified my own commitment to finding meaning
in the work I do. When I have a tough day, I review workshop feedback
to be reminded of personal achievements we’ve triggered, or I connect
with a client whose business goals we supported to remind myself of
why what we do at BlessingWhite matters. And, for me, like the fire
fighters, it is not only the importance of our mission but my
colleagues
— our BlessingWhite employees and associates — who cause me
to think that in my obituary it would be written "he couldn’t
wait to get to work each day."
Judith Lindenberger
Titusville-based
management consulting firm.
offers valuable insight about what people want from their jobs and
companies.
So one of my resolutions for 2002 is to apply these learnings to
strengthen
my clients’ leadership talent and to significantly improve their
business
performance.
Jon Shure
nonpartisan
organization. These comments are excerpted from the winter newsletter.
we so admirably are doing, there is a need to figure out what is
appropriate
policy debate and what is not. If the question "what kind of
society
are we?" was important before September 11, the question,
"what
kind of society will we be?" is even more salient today.
It is time to look through lenses other than ideology or financial
cost in our effort to rethink what government can and cannot, should
and should not do — and how to equitably pay for it. Progressive
organizations, progressive people, progressive beliefs must be more
engaged than ever before because we live in a place and we live at
a time where the need to care for each other is greater than ever
before.
Charles E. Metcalf
600 Alexander Park.
concerns
as of late, important domestic policy decisions loom in the year
ahead.
For instance, Congress will be turning to the reauthorization of the
welfare and food stamp programs. State and federal government must
also confront the problem of how to help recently laid-off workers
return to work, an issue that has become increasingly pressing in
the days since September 11, as many low-wage workers have lost their
jobs due to the failing economy. In the days ahead, policymakers will
also be considering how to ensure that citizens have access to
equitable,
affordable, quality health care and how to help children, particularly
at-risk ones, succeed in school.
Mathematica Policy Research looks forward to providing sound,
objective
information and careful analyses to these debates. The firm has been
at the forefront of social policy research for more than 30 years.
Through its rigorous, nonpartisan research, the company will continue
its mission in 2002 — to improve public well-being by bringing
the highest standards to bear on its work.
Marty Johnson
nonprofit dedicated to community building. These comments are
excerpted
from the organization’s 20th annual newsletter, published in the fall
of 2001.
front page recently noted a broad increase in binge drinking, eating,
and consuming — the results of a fatalistic, deeply cynical,
to-hell-with-the-future
response to terror.
Even more worrisome is the potential for the attacks to accelerate
already eroding trust levels in society. Sociologists cite a gradual,
25-year breakdown of people’s trust in institutions — from
religious
to corporate to governmental. The "trust slide" is not fully
understood, but this we know is true — Isles’ greatest successes
occur when groups of committed people come together to meet their
own needs through training, education, planning, and developing
projects
that are important to them. These successes benefit countless
individuals,
but they hinge upon a trust in that group process. Without that trust,
everyone is weakened.
Then again. . . A more optimistic scenario may also surprise many
of us.
Perhaps the threat to our communities will trigger a compassionate,
more focused (as well as patriotic) response to the times. Perhaps
philanthropists will increase their support despite the drop in
assets.
Maybe we will zero in on the important things and understand that
— while we must go after the terrorists — one powerful
antidote
to terror is strong healthy communities, both here and abroad.
Hanan M. Isaacs
counsel at Princeton Professional Park.
20th year of my law and mediation practice here in Princeton. This
year also produced a shattering and powerful paradox, namely the
September
11 attacks and America’s response to terrorism. This state and country
have never been more receptive to Alternative Dispute Resolution
methods,
and yet we find ourselves in domestic and foreign battles over the
most fundamental principles of freedom and democracy.
As someone who is fully dedicated to conflict resolution, these events
have forced me to reflect long and hard on the importance of power
and force in negotiations and reminded me yet again that there are
limits to tolerance. And yes, that there are matters worth fighting
about and even dying for. As individuals and citizens of this
wonderful
state, nation, and world, and for me as a parent of two young
children,
we must develop the wisdom to understand and act on these important
distinctions.
Personally, I resolve to strengthen myself physically, mentally, and
spiritually in the New Year, which will allow me to withstand even
greater levels of community, family, and personal stress. I also
pledge
to continue my efforts at rational, productive, and reality based
peace building at a time of unprecedented community and individual
insecurity.
Corrections or additions?
This page is published by PrincetonInfo.com
— the web site for U.S. 1 Newspaper in Princeton, New Jersey.
Facebook Comments