Exploring Your Creative Genius: The Common Wealth

This week’s show wasn’t planned. I was pulling into WCHL’s parking lot when the fellow scheduled to arrive in 15 minutes to be my guest called to say a family emergency prevented him from coming. 

I had been talking to the station about using their studio supported by their engineers so I could record the audio version of my new book, ‘Common Ground for US.’  

I had the thought that we could make this show a dry run — I haven’t liked my voice when I read rather than speak spontaneously so this would be a good test. 

This show is me reading the first dozen pages of the 100 page book. 

One of my favorite concepts — I didn’t get to it in the show — is the concept of Common Wealth. I believe as we make our way together in an unknowable future the ways Common Wealth leverages resources so each of us and all of us get the maximum benefit will become more and more important.  

The first time or two I shared the importance of the Common Wealth some folks were suspicious that it was an effort to slip Socialism into the mix.

So I always begin with the Common Wealth example of a new venture incubator.

If you asked 10 first time entrepreneurs if they want to start their new venture on their own or if they would like to join a venture incubator where they will share their resources, their knowledge, their contacts with the other founders my experience tells me it’s very likely 10 out of 10 will choose the Common Wealth of the new venture incubator.

My favorite Common Wealth story is about the Illinois farmer who won the blue ribbon at the county fair five years in a row for the best sweet corn. A local journalist noticed and interviewed him to learn his secret.

The farmer’s secret was simple: Every year when he harvests his crop he saves the very best corn to be seed corn for the next year’s planting. And, he said, he shares half that seed corn with the farmers’ whose fields share a boundary with his farm.

The journalist wondered why he would help his competition improve their crop. The farmer explained that when the winds stir and the breezes blow the pollen from neighboring corn floats on the currents of air into his field and pollinates his corn. So, the best way to keep improving his crop is to help neighbors improve theirs .

This third example of Common Wealth was called Socialism at the time. It’s from the Great Depression when FDR championed public works construction projects to create jobs and get folks back to work.

Let’s focus on one, the Lincoln Tunnel. This Common Wealth—owned by the citizens of New York and New Jersey — has created, facilitated, stimulated, immeasurable individual wealth and value. Small businesses have more access to more customers and suppliers. Workers have more opportunities. Social engagement is more available. I reckon it’s nigh onto impossible to calculate the incredible individual wealth created by this piece of Common Wealth.

So with this productive and high leverage understanding of Common Wealth illuminated by these examples, now let’s talk about investing in Public Schools as vital neighborhood Common Wealth.

And yes, I mean investing in Public Schools, not spending. When we have an investment mentality two things occur — we are determined to understand the return on our investment and when we find it’s positive, well, we want to keep investing.

There are a number of research projects that identify the great range of benefits that occur to a community when they invest in a healthy vibrant Public School system. There is more economic growth throughout the community. Property values rise. Crime rates fall.

If you email me at carlnordgren14@gmail.com I will make sure you get a free copy of the audio version of my book when it is available — likely later in the fall.