My friend, Dave, sent me this video of land that was recently designated for public use in Traverse City, Michigan. It's a pristine piece of property on a peninsula jutting into the Grand Traverse Bay, that includes meadow and virgin forests and the remnants of a long-forgotten orchard. Dave and many others worked for over a decade to take the property from private ownership to public caretaking. Last November, with a ballot initiative that passed, the fruits of their labors were realized.

When I was in Traverse City last September, Dave and I walked parts of this property. It's lovely. I enjoyed seeing from the video what it looks like at other times of the year. BTW–Dave tells me that the music to the video is original and was composed by a fellow community member and music instructor at the reknowned Interlochen Arts Academy.  Another mark of community is the giving of one's gifts to the larger cause that the community embraces.

I've never asked Dave point-blank why he worked for so long on this project. I'm sure there were times when his enthusiasm waned and his frustration level rose like a childhood fever. My guess is that even he wouldn't be able to fully articulate why he hung in there for so long.

When passion takes hold, I am smart to follow and see where it leads me. Logic becomes secondary to what my heart tells me is important. In the end, I know of no other way to respond, in a way that keeps me congruent and in alignment with my deepest beliefs–about what is right or who I am. I'm guessing that Dave feels the same way.