Stewardship v. Committee-eze

It was a shock when my offer to put on a monthly “Movie & Martinelli’s” night – 30 mins of socializing over chilled sparkling cider in champagne flutes & bite-sized desserts, followed by a classic (closed captioned) flick - - evening at our local senior residence was turned down as basically too much bother.  Am happy to report that they now do watch a movie every week, but it would be so much fun to pamper them a little bit, let them know how appreciated they are as role models & mentors.  But “they might drop food on the carpet” and cleaning up would be too troublesome.

It was a shock when my offer to arrange a monthly evening meal – an informal pot luck “thank you” from our community’s youngers to the elders who mean so much to us – was turned down because it might cut into the number of people signing up for the twice-a-week catered supper. 

But neither of those responses were as surprising as the friend who counseled me that the best way to get people to take my efforts seriously was to form a committee to work on it.  Having a committee behind me would show that I was serious about my idea, that it had the necessary gravitas to get it done, that it would demonstrate that it wasn’t just an idea that I might drop down the road.  Setting up a committee would demonstrate my commitment to the proposals.

You know what a camel is?  

A camel is a horse that was designed by a committee.

Am going on record as saying that a strong, healthy vibrant community is not founded on a web of committees.  It is founded, grounded & nurtured through good old-fashioned stewardship.  On someone taking the “a” (accountability) for doing something, even if, when & how that something becomes a bother or even a chore.  You put your shoulder to the wheel & get it rolling.  “Where two or more are gathered together” doesn’t refer to committee meetings, but about the inner spirit transcending the human experience. 

According to something I recently read, living from a sense of stewardship is the opposite of living from self-interest.  It is living from a sense of community building, an activity that is often packaged as a pseudo-corporate dynamic when it is actually massively free-form, in ways wildly contrary to a systems approach.  Taking a systems approach is so calming, so reinforces that we can get this difficult task in hand & resolved.  But community, real community, is heart centered, and the heart has reasons reason knows not.  It is unruly & wild, unpredictable & spectacularly rewards.

Stewardship is the antithesis of committee thinking, at least as I’ve experienced it.  It means someone taking the ball & running with it.  It might involve working with committees & occasionally doing things within a systems-based format, but it can’t start there & it can’t largely reside there.  Stewardship is organic, growing naturally even if that means slow, erratic growth.

Stewardship v. Committee-eze.  I grew up speaking in the tongue of stewardship.  Learned it at my father’s knee.  

Never could get a handle on committee-eze.  Respect those who can, but it so is not me.  

Throw me the ball, then watch me run with it.  

So, yes, I’ll send a proposal about putting on a dessert & Martinelli’s once a month at the local senior residence’s movie night.  And one on having the youngers put on a monthly “feast of thanks” for our older role models & mentors.  And will set up a clean up committee for each one - or have one amazing friend (who gets antsy setting things up but loves setting things straight afterwards) take the "a" for restoring order.  

But, no “exploratory” committee.  An organization committee, sure.  There are many uses for committees.  But not to give an idea value.  The idea has its own value, or not.   

So, let me at them  Just one woman, wanting to act as a steward to a community of elders, none of whom are related to me or even particularly close friends, who have touched my life, have touched the lives of more people than they might realize.  Just one woman, wanting to let them know – we thank you, we care.