Becoming Engaged

Becoming Engaged
by J. Evert Jones

 

Call them The Engaged.

Parents and teachers, barbers and bartenders, students and steelworkers.

Fellow passengers on the train of the future, riding on the bleeding edge of the moment. To The Engaged, the future is a summit in the distance, begging to be attained.  To them, the future is a blank canvas, bursting with the possibilities of their paintbrush.

Bankers and pastors, librarians and CEO's, doctors and baristas.

The Engaged are the investors, those who take a slice of their value and place it in a commodity.  Many consider this sort of value to be money.  Don’t confuse them with The Engaged.  Think about someone who deals not with money, but with time.  The Engaged are people who take a slice of their time, their worth and value, to invest it in knowledge, or even more time.

The Engaged are the people who notice.  They may notice a possible short cut on their way to work.  They may recall a loaf of bread or a cut of meat that sells for a little less money at the market across the street.  They may see their child’s gaze linger on one particular toy on the shelf, just weeks before their birthday, or take note of their spouse’s tone of voice in the middle of the day, and pick up a bouquet of roses on their way home. 

The policemen and the paupers, the nurses and the technicians.  The Episcopalians, the Muslims and the Baptists.  Each of them takes a bit of their time and socks it away in a commodity they believe will reap a benefit in the future.

It looks as if it always comes back to the future, doesn’t it?  And indeed, it does.

In Los Angeles we are just days away from making a decision to decide who will not only lead the government of the city, but also who will best represent the face of Los Angeles, and who will best serve her people.  Those who are engaged in this process take their time to study the condition of their neighborhood, the quality of their air and water, the schools their children attend, and the parks they visit.  They study how their local elected officials represent them, how their problems are solved and how timely this is done.

In short, the future of this city belongs to The Engaged.  They are diligent and vigilant, they are informed and knowledgeable, they want a good future and they want the best for Los Angeles.

Most of all, they are registered to vote.

As Election Day draws closer, you will see a battle raging on the airwaves for the attention of The Engaged.  On one side, one candidate focuses on their record in serving the city, the improvements they have made in the district they serve, and the vision they have for the city, for the future.

On the other side, another candidate uses the airwaves not to inform the public about their record of service, but to sow seeds of doubt into the other candidate’s campaign and to pepper the audience with third-party recommendations.  There is no hint or promise from this person about how they can best serve the City.

One candidate embraces The Engaged.  Another seeks to drive them away from the polls, to hold back their voice, to keep The Engaged silent.

Mailmen and paramedics, mechanics and sales people, waiters and dog walkers.

We may never see the other side of the second where the future awaits, but we can all take a slice of time to become involved, to become knowledgeable, to become Engaged.

Register to vote.  Then vote on Election Day.

It takes only a thin slice of your time to do so.  This investment, and your voice, have the power to shape this city into a jewel of achievement.  The deadline to register is this Monday.

Become Engaged.

Don’t hold back.