Staying strong is about change
Today’s special edition — South Coast Strong — emphasizes a couple of themes that we have consistently editorialized in favor of in recent years: self-reliance and economic diversity.
We’ve all heard the phrase, “the only thing that is constant is change.” It’s not new; in fact the wisdom is ancient, attributed to the Greek philosopher Heraclitus (c.535-c.475 BCE).
Heraclitus is known among scholars for his focus on ever-present change as being the fundamental essence of the entire universe. He’s also the deep thinker who said: “No man ever steps in the same river twice.” Again, change is everything, and we don’t possess the power to have the world operate otherwise.
As the world turns, so do its economies. The wood products industry that used to define timber-producing regions like ours resembles nothing that we remember. After environmental restrictions were imposed, the surviving industry became mechanized, computerized and vastly more efficient. But as a result, jobs were lost.
Those changes, in turn, impacted the relevance of what used to be a bustling seaport, the most important industrial berth between Puget Sound and San Francisco Bay. Again, economies change and we don’t possess the power to stem the tide.
The world changes under our feet just when we feel the most grounded, the most assured. And those changes bring either anxiety or hope, depending on your point of view. Take liquefied natural gas, for example. Worldwide economic conditions as they exist now suggest it would be bad business to build an export plant from ground zero. If you oppose LNG, that reality makes you feel secure. When economic conditions change, as Heraclitus assures us will always happen, those who support LNG will rejoice. But neither side can stem the tide of change.
Same thing in the forest. Land use philosophies of those who control the public lands from which we want to earn a living are changing. Federal and state policy makers say they are trying to maximize the value of lands for multiple uses now, not just for resource extraction. We can push back and pray that the people who make law and write policy will see things our way. But there are forces just as powerful making strong opposing arguments. Some kind of change is, as Heraclitus would tell us, inevitable. We have no assurance that the change will ultimately be in our favor.
What to do then?
Learn to adapt. Remain flexible. Constantly assess current assets and learn to maximize their value.
Today’s stories in South Coast Strong are all about people who have accepted the philosophy of Heraclitus and are acting on it. These are stories about assessing current assets, learning to maximize their value, learning to adapt and remaining flexible.
These are stories about self-reliance, creating economic diversity — and, ultimately, survival. They are stories of success.
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