“We never have done it that way before” is the go-to reaction in a well-established community when someone tries to bring change. That often puts a halt to any efforts to collaborate. Negativity continues to seep deep below the surface. One continues to hear complaints that things have not gotten “back to normal” yet. We expect that most of our mutual post-pandemic efforts will solve the problems cropping up daily.
When a community attempts to collectively look forward, sometimes their best efforts to do so don’t work out very well. It only works with a spirit of collaboration, but it is hard not to become frustrated when almost everyone’s efforts meet deep pockets of resistance.
That means discussions will arise throughout the community, even with the most ordinary and familiar subjects, and boundary lines crossed too easily. Volunteering to work with a new group or committee for the various organizations in the community is sincere and well-meant but can turn into a thankless time-waster quickly if that type of reaction from other community members stops everyone from working together. This attitude may still surface from time to time, but it is becoming less common. Good.
