Can’t we all just get along?
By now most, if not all Avalonians have heard or seen the infamous flyer sent out “To protect Avalon.”
The author, who clearly identified himself as solely responsible for the content, has a history of sharing his views on important matters through such flyers.
I remember he put out a similar flyer over the previously hot topic of who would get the lease/contract for managing the shipping to and from the island.
The author himself has stated, “My goal is to make Catalina politics more transparent.” You have to admire this guy, he puts his money where his mouth is, unfortunately his “mouth” is not really spouting messages about transparency in his mailer.
The author’s message started out pretty simple, “Write in these candidates to protect Avalon.” Simple enough. Clear, clean message. But wait, there’s more, and you know the story is not going to end well when the candidates he supports disavow the flyer.
His tag line created a trap. It begged a question, ‘Protect Avalon?’ from who (or what)? The author fell victim to his own trap and he had plenty to say on page two about why Avalon needs protecting.
As they say in the infomercial world … “That’s not all! Call in now and get a third page of misleading facts, absolutely free. Mention the promo code ‘transparency’ and get a fourth page of personal attacks and character assassinations.”
Once the true intent of the flyer was exposed, it became a full bore, guns-a-blazin attack on the evil empire (aka the Island Company) as being led by Geoff and Alison.
I have to admit, my own world view has been stirred up by the vitriol and fake news, the name-calling and tweeting that is currently going on in Washington. So, it was particularly disappointing to see the same nonsense going in in Avalon.
We need to take a different approach.
If you are trapped on a desert island with an 800-pound gorilla who controls all the coconuts, it would be a death sentence to antagonize the beast. There is just no future in it.
We all like to suggest that Avalon is different. That is because it is true! We are a very unique community for a number of reasons that are not pictured on a post card.
We know who owns the coconuts, but it seems like we forget what to expect from our 800 gorilla. In case you are new, here are some fun facts to consider:
The Island Company is a “for profit” enterprise. They exist to turn a profit for their shareholders whether those shares are held publicly or in private hands.
This is not “evil,” it is what corporations are designed to do.
The Island Company is and has been the dominant land owner for most of our lives, so if we need land for a community structure, we need to negotiate for it.
The Island Company needs people here to execute its corporate mission which makes it the biggest employer here.
The Island Company is heavily invested in the success of Avalon and of the island itself. We are talking millions of dollars.
So ask yourself. If you owned Island Company shares, how would you vote on topics such as water allocation, housing and land use?
If you were directly dependent upon the success of the Island Company for your future, how would you want the company to manage infrastructure investments, equipment upgrades or donations to the community and the City?
Does all of this mean that we should let the 800-pound gorilla run amok and hope he leaves us a few coconuts to survive on? No, but it doesn’t do much good to poke sticks and throw stones either.
Protect yourself. Don’t look for politicians, corporations or even brochure-writers to protect you, protect yourself. You are the only one who you can always trust to have your best interests at heart, period.
Build your businesses, but arm yourself with a clear understanding of the world that is Avalon. Understand the lay of the land. Make it work for you. Even 800-pound Gorillas need support and services. It takes a village.
Among the many benefits I derive from running a charter business here is the opportunity to observe Mother Nature working out differences among species. One of the strongest symbiotic relationships in nature is built upon ‘mutualism’, whereby very different organisms living in close proximity can gain mutual benefit from each other.
The eco-system that is Avalon does not need haters, it needs lobbyists with skills to represent a unique community that offers visitors an immersive experience of diverse activities and shareable memories.
To pull that off we need each other. Wanna go fishing?
Capt. John runs Afishinados Charters and Catallac Tours – john@afishinados.com – 888-613-7770.
