In “A Talk: Bluesology/Black History/Jaws/The Revolution Will Not Be Televised,” Gil Scott-Heron makes fun of the now-classic blockbuster: “Jaws was in the water. This is where sharks are known to be: in the water. You going to the beach. He going to the supermarket.”

Whether we’re talking about orcas fighting off boats in water where they are known to be, or a sea otter commandeering surf boards, or magpies and crows stealing anti-bird spikes and using these as material for their nests, what I feel is the desire — across all species — to be able to determine their own environment.

How it plays out for humans is not always more civilized than destroying yachts. There’s war. And then there’s what is widely accepted and passes for civility despite being insidious: the practice of having people from outside the community holding decision-making positions. Usually, politicians live in the cities they’re representing, though not always. Here, I’m really thinking about others with power, like those running businesses, including non-profits. I’m not singling out ones that are statewide or national in their focus, as much as ones claiming to be working within a specific community (or communities) while the majority of those in management positions do not live in the same communities. This isn’t an attack on any specific organization either: plenty practice this in one form or another, and it’s not like those doing it are coming in with necessarily bad intentions by their standards.

It’s totally possible for someone to be genuinely involved in the community where they work, and then go home to a suburb, but do most make this effort? Are they fostering meaningful relationships while here? I don’t mean going to networking events. I don’t mean setting up meetings that are aiming to get something from the community, and especially I do not mean milking members of the community for their expertise, knowledge, or connections without even a hint of reciprocity. Someone can speak politely, dress well, stand up straight, do all those respectability things, and still be wildly toxic in their interactions with both the general community they purport to serve, along with staff from the community who are often not in leadership positions. There are ways organizations keep local residents from leadership positions — again, if not intentionally, because of the narrow lens through which those in power and those upwardly mobile and firmly middle class view the world. Take a looking at job postings to see the ways a person is not only required to be skilled for a position, but also have a slew of other credentials that are irrelevant: must have own transportation, must have certain degrees despite on-the-job training, and on and on. How do we weed people out from spots that would help those in community have more say over what happens in their community?

How many times have residents been told by someone who does not live here — whose children don’t walk to school on these streets, whose spouse doesn’t bike to work on these streets — how our city roads should function? How many times are we told that a proposed street change should be “good enough” by people who don’t actually have to cross that particular intersection ten times every week? Don’t get me started on alternate I-84 plans that would disrupt neighborhoods with tunnel construction, and require who knows how many people to move. They say it would require “little or no property acquisition,” but what they’re doing is trying to tell orcas who’ve been gouged by yachts in the past that they’re different, they’re not like those other guys, they’re not the ones who were the problem. They’re asking for trust where it has not yet been earned. That’s really the theme: Trust us, we have the answers, and we won’t hesitate to drop them in your backyard even if we would never do this in our own.

It’s great to hear impressions from visitors. Locals are not necessarily looking at how a place functions or feels to those arriving at certain attractions. If you regularly commute out of a particular train or bus station, you might have figured out how that system works and where things are, and have long since stopped noticing whether or not there are maps, signs, and other things that a brand new visitor would want. If you’re not familiar with the place, can you easily find public restrooms that are accessible, clean, and stocked? How about water fountains? Are there enough places to sit? Is there something lacking that would be a good fit? Opinions are fine.

But there’s a line between saying “here’s what I liked and here’s what would make this more attractive,” and what I unfortunately witness too much of from those who moved away or have never lived here: “the people who live in Hartford are uneducated, unintelligent, and do not know what is best for themselves, while I know best.” They never say it so directly, of course, but it’s out there.

I really like these pro-orca signs popping up around Hartford because they’re another way of saying “stay in your lane.”

That can mean stop putting massive pleasure boats where orcas live. It can mean don’t hate on the bears coming up on your porch when you keep putting out birdseed and other tasty treats for them. And it can mean being more introspective before coming into a community very different from your own, where you don’t have close ties, and shaping what the place looks like.

Something I learned from applying for a City of Hartford Love Your Block grant is that there are a few requirements which help people to stay in their lane. At least one of the project leaders must live in the neighborhood where all or most of the project would take place, or it should be an area that they routinely pass. The idea here is that the person has to live with the results. They’re not creating a pocket park nobody asked for and are then walking away, not having to see or deal with maintenance issues like trash. A little harder to enforce, but at least half the project volunteers should be from the neighborhood. Again, is this something people living there will invest their time and energy into?

Since I am not a boat-ramming orca, I will ask a few questions instead to those who have these meddling tendencies, and they do not need to answer here. They can just write about it in their diaries and give it a think:

  • Why have you made reshaping a place you don’t live your prime job or hobby?
  • Do you have social connections here? Would they say it’s mutual? Do they live in neighborhoods besides Downtown and the West End?
  • If not, what are you doing to begin fostering some sincere connections? Again, the aim is not to have shallow relationships with people in every single organization and neighborhood, but a few genuine ones that will make you think twice about the ways in which you engage.
  • Are you involved in the place where you live? How?
  • How would you respond if someone suggested you be grateful for any change, any economic investment, any attention given to your neighborhood at all, the insinuation being that someone is doing you a favor by not ignoring your neighborhood in the first place?

Climate Possibilities is a new series about climate mitigation, along with resilience, resistance, and restoration. It’s about human habitat preservation. It’s about loving nature and planet Earth, and demanding the kind of change that gives future generations the opportunity for vibrant lives. Doomers will be eaten alive, figuratively. All photographs are taken in Hartford, Connecticut unless stated otherwise.