As the meeting began, I was turning over all sorts of thoughts in my head about how I could tell the story of the Urban Ecology Center to this national environmental leader. This was a big opportunity.
As the meeting went on though, most of the focus turned to the economic revitalization of the Valley and the urban planning strategies that had been implemented. That conversation was fascinating and I learned a ton by listening (another part of my job I really love — but I’ll save that for another article). As the meeting ended, I realized I hadn’t gotten to tell Surhabi very much about the Center at all. I had one job at this meeting and I blew it.
I went over to Surhabi to say goodbye, still kicking myself over the missed opportunity. But as she shook my hand she said, “I wanted to tell you, I think you’re doing really good work at the Urban Ecology Center. I sat next to a man on the plane who told me all about your Center, and it just sounds like a really great place.”
Ha! Here I was so worried about how to tell the “best” story of the Urban Ecology Center and not having the chance to do it, when it turns out someone had already done it for me! My job is so easy sometimes…
That day was a powerful reminder for me of the importance of each voice in our Urban Ecology Center family. Any time you tell your own special and particular Urban Ecology Center story, it can have a huge impact. So, tell it! You never know — you might be talking to someone from the EPA, or a future lawmaker, or our next big donor. Or even better — you might be talking to someone who just really needs a way to connect with nature in their neighborhood and you might be the one to open that door. The “best” story of the Urban Ecology Center is yours!
