I was so impressed by the work done by our village’s Department of Public Works in the aftermath of last week’s snowstorm. They worked tirelessly throughout the storm in an effort to keep up with accumulating snow and keep our roads as safe as possible. But beyond this, the very next day, they somehow made more than 90% of all the snow in our downtown disappear. Armed with tractors with frontend loaders and a bevy of dump trucks, they scooped and carted away tons of snow – a transformation I didn’t think was possible in such a short time.
I’m sure similar efforts took place across the country. In fact, in New York City, they have machines that can melt a half ton of snow in seconds!
It is a reminder of what is possible with good planning, cooperation, the right tools and extraordinary effort. Something we have seen time and time again – particularly in the face of emergency.
In dire times, it can be natural to feel hopeless. Yet the world is full of examples of progress that previously may have been unimaginable. Consider the many innovations that make everyday life easier – from the washing machine to the airplane to the internet. Or how the moral arc of the universe has bent towards justice over the last one hundred years – expanding rights and freedoms. Walk into any marvelous architectural structure and be amazed that at one point it was an idea in someone’s mind that draftsmen, engineers and workers brought into reality.
I read today that ChatGPT’s parent company OpenAI lost more than 10 billion dollars last year. Yes, that’s billions with a “b.” Yet, few discount the possibilities (good and bad) that AI will usher in. It is a reminder to invest in the possible and practice patience.
Moving from the possible to the probable to the actual can seem daunting to say the least. Where to begin?
Consider this. Approximately 70% of people born into the lowest income bracket in America will move up at least one rung on the economic ladder. Most more than one. They will go on to earn more than their parents.
Research also tells us that those who believe they will move up are more likely to do so.
Belief is the first step in the journey from possible to actual. Not just individually but collectively.
I imagine what it must have been like to be a DPW worker seeing their village blanked by walls of snow. Surely, they all believed that it was possible to clear it – and so they did.
Similarly, I imagine that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and those he worked with believed – despite incredible resistance – we could advance civil rights. John Roebling must have believed it was possible to build a bridge from Brooklyn to Manhattan. As did the six hundred workers and engineers who worked fourteen years to make it happen.
All proof that it is possible to clean up messes – made by snow, ICE or other forces, advance and protect human rights, and build bridges across wide divides to connect millions of people.
What do you think is possible?
Recommendation of the Week: Check out this Spotify playlist. I created it out of songs put forth by students in my Economics of Social Mobility class. They were asked to share a song that inspires their own journey. Perhaps it will inspire yours as well.
Share this weekly note with someone who needs a little dose of the possible today.
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