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A Gentrified Joe!
(Part 2)
CHARGE! Looking Back. Facing Forward: 5 Wise Words of Counsel
By Commissioner Joe Noland
Those were the days my friend, we thought they’d never end.
Ever analyzed why those street corner open-air days ended?
Here is the excuse I’ve heard most often, personally even
uttering it myself on occasion.
“Those were the days when street corners were
community-gathering places, but that has all changed with the
advent of television, mega-malls and the Internet. People no
longer gather on those corners as they once did.”
Translation: “That was scary stuff and sometimes embarrassing,
especially with our new-found acceptance and brand image.
Let’s get in step with the 21st Century emerging
“sophisticated” us!
Last evening, Doris and I took a stroll down Kalakaua Avenue,
in Waikiki, past the International Marketplace. Lo and behold,
there were street performers of every stripe entertaining
hundreds of bystanders: musicians, artists, clowns, balloon
shapers, a gold-plated human statue, foot massagers and even
Elmo, each with a “collection device” (No tambourines
apparent), all drawing crowds. Standing there for a few
minutes watching Elmo do his thing, I calculated that his
device was filling at the pace of several dollars per minute
($120 hour), not a bad days work, huh? And besides he was
brightening the evening for a lot of people.
We’ve witnessed this phenomenon wherever we’ve been lately:
Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, London, Times Square, NYC (The
Naked Cowboy?), Boston, Dallas, Denver, Hollywood and, yes,
Fisherman’s Wharf, San Francisco (A man behind a portable bush
jumped out and scared us silly, while bystanders laughed and
happily contributed to his retirement fund). But alas! The
Salvation Army isn’t there anymore “because people no longer
gather on the street corners.”
Another modern phenomenon (perhaps related) is the
gentrification of cities, far and wide. We were recently in
Old Town Pasadena, the streets bustling with hoards of people,
seemingly going nowhere. And the historic Gas Lamp Quarter in
San Diego, where they now conduct ghost tours in what was once
an old haunt of mine (pun intended). I wonder if the ghosts of
Horton Plaza open-airs past are on their itinerary? It’s
amazing to see the transformation occurring – keeping the
ambience of the past, yet simultaneously conforming to the
culture of a new day.
Gentrification: “the process of transforming…into something
more prosperous.”
Standing on that transformed Market, Powell and Eddy Mall in
San Francisco (See Part 1), I reflect upon the ghosts of
open-airs past. Moments of doubt cloud my thinking. Was the
demise of street-corner meetings related to changing
demographics, or is it because The Salvation Army was
transforming into something more prosperous, gentrifying if
you may?
Hasn’t Peter Drucker tabbed us, “The most effective
organization in the U.S?” Reader’s Digest wrote, “The charity
you can trust.” Forbes Magazine reported, “One of the top 10
charities that shine…one that gives supporters more bang for
their buck.” The Chronicle of Philanthropy stated, “America’s
favorite and most trusted charity.” How would Joe the Turk
fare in today’s gentrified Army culture, I wonder?
Gentrification isn’t bad, mind you; it’s a good thing, so long
as we adapt ongoing, evangelistically to an ever-changing
culture.
Where to from here, backward or forward? Perhaps a mixture of
both, huh? Those were the days my friend, They need not ever
end, with a little gentrification thrown in for good measure,
of course. Or as that haunting voice from the past keeps
reminding us, Adaptation is our only law! (Catherine Booth)
These are the days my friend
Adaptation never ends
We'll sing and dance
Forever and the day
We'll live the life we choose
We'll fight and never lose
Yes, forever young
And sure to have His way
La La La, etc.
Given a second chance to redeem the past forty-something
years, I would also consider the following three things
prayerfully: 1) Examine (my) Excuses carefully. Are they
motivated by fear and a desire for comfort, or are they based
in reality? 2) Embrace Change fully. There is something about
“We’ve always done it this way!” that is familiar, comforting
and soothing. And if I’m going to continue doing it ‘this
way,’ my excuses are (were) valid and legitimate. 3) Enforce
(the Law of) Adaptability always. The modern word for it is
gentrification, keeping the core values (infrastructure)
intact, whilst ever melding them, progressively, into a
transforming culture.
I confess to making many excuses, resisting or ignoring change
too often and hanging on dearly to those comforting,
traditional things that helped shape me as a person and
Salvationist. Looking back, here is my combined charge to
future leaders who are now facing forward:
1. Fight Fearlessly!
2. Get A (Faith) Grip!
3. Examine (all) Excuses!
4. Embrace Change!
5. Enforce (The Law of) Adaptability!
Oh, by the way, Joe the Turk would draw enormous crowds today
at the transformed San Francisco Market, Powell and Eddy
Plaza, in Old Pasadena and/or the San Diego Gas Lamp Quarter
(Horton Plaza). A gentrified Joe, of course! And if it were
all captured on YouTube? Just think!
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