Recapture our vision for city

By Patti Hoffman

A story is told of an old man and his grandson who took long walks. The man would impart his wisdom to the child, hoping to enlighten him. One day they came to a huge pile of rubble. The child asked, “Grandfather, what is this? Look, there are stones that look like they were once steps, and oh look, grandfather, a bell.”

The old man sat on a piece of stone and tears formed in his eyes. He called the boy to sit on his knee. The child knew it was time for a story; he loved Grandfather's stories for they always gave him things to think about.

“When I was a boy,” he began, “there was a city here with a wonderful bell tower. The tower was built in order that the people of the town might spend time there looking out over the country side, watching for predators, admiring the beauty of the land and taking quiet time to consider all they had to be thankful for. It became the custom for the leaders of the city to take turns keeping watch there, planning festivals and in the quiet seeing visions of things to come, laying out plans for gardens and parks.

“Eventually the stairs that led to the tower began to wear down and so a committee was formed to make plans to shore them up. Some thought they should be made of pine. Others thought maple was stronger and more beautiful. Some said there should be two flights of stairs.

“Others still argued they should be made of stone and that the local stone mason be consulted. As the arguing continued, some wouldn't take a turn on watch. The committee decided to call in outsiders to advise them. Those who would be less partial. But outsiders didn't know the history and hadn't shared in the centuries of building the community.

“Soon the bell was silenced, there were no festivals. There was no pride in the beauty of the gardens, or the dancing of the children. All was complaining and hate. Eventually the tower tumbled and people moved away.”

As I read about the indecisions of our City Council, our chamber of commerce, I feel we, too, have lost our vision. Time is spent in disagreement and criticism. We have parades without music. Festivals with old plans dusted off and little effort given to hear new ideas.

How can blocks and blocks of what once were homes stand empty, rotting, because of indecision by our leaders or waiting for yet another outside group to come and advise us?

Perhaps it is way past time for those city fathers and mothers who have roots here to build a bell tower where they spend quiet time and recapture the vision that once built a city by a river.

Patti Hoffman of Cedar Rapids is a mother of eight children and retired from 30 years of ministry for the Dubuque and Davenport Catholic dioceses.