James Collier

Update:
I got a bit carried away on twitter last night posting “suggestions” for a new Fresno slogan; I won’t link to them, but they’re not hard to find. Several others offered entertaining suggestions.

A friend and local leader questioned the value in this, with regards to making a difference and having positive impact (he quoted me from below, too)—I can argue that value, but it’s a stretch. Instead, I’ll take my own advice, and commit to volunteering an hour for each of my suggestions. I count close to 15, but I spurred others, so let’s round to 20. And to expose myself to something new, I’m inviting input on where to volunteer: the first nonprofit representative that leaves a comment will command control of that time.

Original post (now with awesome photo:
This may come as a surprise, but growing up, I wasn’t the popular kid. I wasn’t even allowed to talk to popular kids—they were guarded by a barrier of security (confidence, self-assurance, pride) that was impenetrable by someone as curly-headed and out of shape as me.

In high school I saw a shimmer of hope: I entered ninth grade at 5’2” and 185 lbs.—”pear-shaped” as my friends described me—but I grew nine inches that first year, staying the same weight, and saw a gradual cease in comments about my weight/size/hair/clothes/etc. I threw all that away, though, by joining the wrestling team, where I lost every match (at least I was consistent), and took home a tournament trophy only because there were only two competitors—including me—in my weight class. Yes, I still have that medal.

As much as it pains me to dig up these old memories, they started to come unearthed after reading through lists of local responses to the recent USA Today article about Fresno’s attempts at rebranding. It was far from a positive view of our city, and that has upset a few people.

Which is great. Really.

But, from personal experience, negative perceptions aren’t shed simply by getting defensive. Or by telling others how awesome we are. Or by attempting to discredit the offender (yes, I’m looking at those of you who tried to point holes in the credibility of this article’s author).

I mean, I tried to explain to my peers in elementary middle high school college just how cool I was, but the harder I tried or the more I talked, the less even I believed it.

Here’s my point:

Fresno will continue to receive negative press. And honestly, we probably deserve it—shame on us for not moving our community neighbors beyond poverty, hunger, unemployment (or even minimum wage), inadequate education or whatever criteria the next list will measure. Wait, that’s not my point, I got sidetracked…

I’m not arguing that we ignore the hurtful glares, but we need to accept that they’re always going to be pointed at us, and focus on something that matters. And that makes a difference, or improves the lives of others.

Put another way: like that “husky” kid that got picked on in school, we need to walk away from the “cool” kids and invest in relationships and activities that are positive and fruitful (get it…fruitful?). Who cares what they have to say, anyway?

I know what that looked like for me, an individual, when I was younger. I don’t know what it looks like for a community, but I’ve got a few ideas on where to start:

1. Volunteering: We rank low nationally by measurement of volunteer hours per capita, yet we need the manpower more than other communities.
2. Expose yourself: Careful there—I mean mentally, not physically. Take a tour of something you’re unfamiliar with. Try going to a farmer’s market, or find someone who can tell you about the buildings in Chinatown. Get out from behind the comfort of where ever you normally hang out and take in something new.
3. Research: There are a lot of fingers pointed at local government, but they’re a reflection of the community. If that bothers you, break the mirror and help identify/nurture/support/invest in new leaders. There’s an election just about every year—research the candidates and issues and make informed decisions. If it’s better for the community, try laying personal preferences and individual beliefs aside.

It’s a short list, but that’s enough to keep most of us busy in the new year. Feel free to add other suggestions (or to disagree with me) in the comments.

For those that want to read something more positive in the news, I wish you luck. Most of the suggestions I’ve read in response to USA Today’s story, though, have hardly been newsworthy.