We are reading "Janesville" by Amy Goldstein aloud. Lynn needs to hear the book because soon her book club will discuss it. It is about the Wisconsin city of that name and the city's economic struggles with the recession of 2008, the shrinkage of the American auto industry, and the effect on the town of a major General Motors plant closing.
Janesville is a small city of 64,000 and has been involved in manufacturing since the early 1900's. It has had its ups and downs but mostly ups. Not only that, it has shown a upbeat, can-do spirit and has had pride in functioning well steadily. There had been times with the pivotal General Motors plant had been shuttered but the plant, the city's biggest employer, always bounced back to life.
When the pivotal plant closed and did not re-open, valiant and rigorous efforts were made to use patience, imagination and flexibility to weather the storms. It seemed to some people that it was important to stay optimistic. But in tough situations, asking people to sing a merry tune can be repulsive. Imagine a general speaking to a soldier who has been badly and painfully injured. The general is wearing a clean uniform, is only appearing on the battlefield for a short time and will then be whisked back to headquarters. The soldier is in intense pain, has lost a leg and is bleeding badly. Suppose the general says to the soldier,"Keep smiling, son, always maintain a cheerful mind."
The soldier is going to turn away in disgust. He needs compassion, not instruction. He is in shock and is just beginning to grapple with a serious lifetime disability. I imagine he will never forget the general nor revise his picture of an officer of low intelligence and lower leadership skills.
When some citizens of Janesville found their incomes gone, their ability to get health care gone, their food supplies meager and shrinking, they were not aided by calls to keep smiling. They found such admonitions insulting and painful and they did not react positively.
It takes time, acceptance and patience to assist those who have experienced a nasty and damaging fall. Moving toward optimism can indeed be the right direction but it may take respect for the pain and confusion, the fear and despair, for quite a while before any cheerleading.
