As parks and recreation professionals, we are committed to the communities we serve.  Growing expectations to address social equity, sustainability, and internal integrity mean we often find ourselves battling a rushing current in order to stand in place – or worse, fording upriver to get back to where we started.

By clinging to our past, we miss an opportunity for improvement.  We can do better at addressing diversity and being more inclusive.  We can become responsive in issues of environmental protection and climate change.  We can effectively navigate the ebb and flow of funding, enabling us to optimize resources.  We can address social concerns such as homelessness, immigration, and obesity which also require our flexibility.   

We have a choice: swim upriver against the current, or raise the sails and learn to navigate downstream.  By navigating the rivers of change we become adaptable and resilient.  More importantly, our efforts lead us to the ocean.  For it is at the ocean where we meet and share our various journeys, giving us an opportunity for a better future.