Jump-Starting Rochester: The New Narrative Part 3

Posted by Bruce Peters

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In New Narrative Parts 1 and 2, I wrote about  the opportunity for our Rochester NY Community  to actualize our potential as the #1 innovation technology hub, as earned and recognized in Jump-Starting America.

The challenge to our community and to each of us who care is, how to actualize this potential. In my last post, I labeled Gruber and Johnson’s designation as a gift to us. What will we do with this gift?

There are many ways to come at this, but the way I’ve come to think about is around a narrative or story. What story do we want the coming generations to tell about our time here? And what role did we play in that story or narrative?

Each of us has our own version, and it’s so important that we learn and honor each of ours. In that spirit, I am prepared to go first with the understanding that there is no, one right answer, yet with the additional understanding that the story must include both the big stories of the community and the little stories of each of us.

First, some additional context.  George Monbiot in his Ted Presentation reminds us that,

We are creatures of a narrative, and a string of facts and figures, however important facts and figures might be…… those facts and figures have no power to replace a persuasive story. The only thing that can replace a story is another story.

Simon Sinek, in his Ted talk on the subject of “Why”, speaks to Martin Luther King’s ‘I have a dream’ speech, rather than I have a plan.

Back to Monbiot, "The only thing that can replace a story is another one." Monbiot references his new narrative focusing on humanity and builds his narrative in response to this context. He speaks of this as a 'restoration story.'

Disorder afflicts the land, caused by powerful and nefarious forces working against the interests of humanity. But the heroes will revolt against this disorder, fight those powerful forces, against all odds, overthrow them and restore harmony to the land.”

My dream goes a bit beyond...

In Part 2, I mentioned JFK. He inspired so much, that his work and place where often labeled Camelot. Real or fictional, the vision of Camelot was of a special place where special people come together to do special things in service of all.

My dream for our community goes beyond just being an innovation/technology hub, although being such a hub is integral to choosing the kind of community we can dream of being.

What if we used our strength as a tech/innovation hub to come together  also as a learning community, to also maximize each individual's potential as well? Here is a short video where I describe the power of people coming together to form learning communities. 

What is your vision for actualizing this dream of becoming #1? Please share your dream on our Jump-Starting Rochester Community site.  

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Topics: Beyond Teal, jump-starting Rochester

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