The secret they don’t tell you about: Process

I’d love to walk into a kitchen, demand a gourmet cake exactly as I envision it and have the chef present it to me within 10 seconds or less. But wishes - like this - are not reality. It is physically impossible but even more-so it belittles the craft, demeans the quality and mocks the artisian’s end product. A one of a kind cake takes time and process. 

Or good luck demanding a 5 star tree fort in a snap from a loving father. He loves the child too much to slap something together in a hurry and then say, “go ahead! It’s safe! Have fun!” A strong, reliable, quality fort takes research, calculations, construction, assessment, refining, and patience. To demand anything less speaks more of the requester than it does the item: they are beholden to whims and emotions and not interested in quality or security. They don’t yet understand or value the process that goes into making something of worth and stability.

As conservatives, we rejoice in the growing presence of engaged citizens in the civic arena. But many are missing the greatest anchor: the process. 

A LONG TERM JOURNEY

Change to our nation was never meant to be done quickly. A quality product takes time, consideration, and thoughtful attention to detail. 

Grassroots movements - whether it is parents making waves at school board meetings, or citizens ousting well intentioned experienced local party leaders from their party, or grassroots’ growing cacophony of outrage if someone does not agree with them - have phases. All over America we have had fires of activism and passion pop up over the past 3 years. 

Some “movements” are fast spreading, furious, and far reaching. Some would say they are exciting, exhilarating, and like a wild fire - potentially destructive. These are hot fires. They are definitely making a mark, but will they last? Many citizens have burned bridges faster than they can sink down roots for new ones.

Other small movements have been slow growing fires with tedious tending, methodical assessing, and careful stoking. These fires may have greater, deeper, and long lasting impact, not dying out as fast as the wildfires. Why? In part, the participants of this movement approach the journey differently. Instead of being loud town criers, they are thoughtful and passionate disruptors who are driven to bring change but also value people and the process along the way.

The leaders of this slow-burning movement have recognized the need for engagement, sought wisdom, listened, learned, chosen to lead, and invited others into their process. They have gained speed, pushed back at the right times, been consistent, and made room for others who may or may not completely agree with them. These are the processes that will get us somewhere. 
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PROCESS, PROCESS, PROCESS

My old boss would - to me at the time - harp on process, process, process. My own father would encourage me from time to time (though it more-so felt like a hard and painful lesson, given in love though - I know!), this phase of life is part of “the process.” They both knew what I did not yet realize, process is “The Process” not just an adjective, but a noun: something significant to pay attention to and something to embrace.

To the seasoned me, I now see that process is a piece of the enriching part of life. Every good thing comes from and through a process. To rush to make something happen is not the high road. 

To rush to bring change, or alter a system cannot effectively be done by storming the gates or blowing the door off the hinges. You cannot force the process. To burst onto a scene, or to make emotional demands, will rock the boat for a moment, but it’s just that: a moment. In the same way a hot ember floats to the ground and eventually fizzles, outbursts of zeal can definitely have an impact, but it is the long term game plan that is going to bring us the greatest results. And part of that strategy is learning to acknowledge, honor, and learn the process.
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PROCESS IS WHAT THE FOUNDERS WANTED

Our founders did not initiate something in America that could only be a temporary hot fire, a quick flash in the pan or a short blink of an eye. They came to the table with years of experience, knowledge, and awareness of what worked, what didn’t work, what humans needed for a well ordered society.

With a strong and expansive foundation, they agonized through the process of forming and establishing the United States of America. They sweated, sacrificed, and groaned as they made provisions for states’ rights, and free trade, and healthy economy, and a limited government marketplace. They painstakingly went through the arduous process of producing a quality product, the Untied States of America, always with their eye on history and what they could learn from others in the journey, and a vision to a long lasting establishment. They knew that if a free nation had the chance of lasting longer than a wildfire, it needed all the right frameworks in place.

They went through the long drawn out process, many of them not living to see the finished product, or not yet benefiting from its value, in order that we might have a nation of the people, by the people, for the people, built on liberty, justice, and a right to the pursuit of happiness. They understood the value of process and if they had not gone through the process, America would not have lasted as long as it has until now. 
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STUCK IN THE PROCESS 

Where we sit as a nation is a result of citizens ignoring the process and abdicating their role from the civic arena for too long. Too many have not voted, have not paid attention to their elected leaders’ votes, have bypassed township happenings, have avoided volunteering at the local school and the list goes on and on and on. 

Now as more and more pieces of our bloated government systems get exposed, as more citizens wake up to realize what is happening under their noses (please note progressives have utilized the process of the democracy to their agenda), many citizens are arrogant (yes I said it) to think “one visit to a meeting, one time speaking up, one time voting” will make the difference. It won’t. 

We won’t improve our status as a nation until men and women learn to appreciate the process, learn from thie processes of history and tap into the wisdom of those who have been in the arena or know more than they know.
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WHAT IS PROCESS

Process - no matter what it pertains to - is assuming you understand something: it silently speaks of history. History is a wealth of life and wisdom for us if we will pay attention to it. 

To learn a process suggests someone has already been down this road before, they have gone this way, they have figured out what works, what does not work, and what kind of fires burn best and longest with the least amount of damage. In order to present “process to us” as a proposed way to do something suggests, I have been through this journey before and here is what works best, or what could be harmful based on my experience (or our experience, sometimes collective).

To understand the process is imperative as it illuminates what may be happening we are not aware of, why people made decisions that they did. Process is complex migration of steps: learning the how, hearing the backstories, better understanding the do’s and don’ts of a trade, or the pitfalls, and shortcuts that can be taken. To embrace process means asking ourselves the questions: “What should I know that I don’t know? How does this thing called government work? How is it supposed to work? What are the day to day challenge of those in the arena that they have discovered along the journey?”

To embrace the process is uncomfortable and it can take years to go through. If you try to force the experience it won’t move any faster. If you try to drag your feet, you will bypass a unique moment in time that truly could have brought change. But if you work your hardest every step of the journey, eager to learn, willing to serve, satisfied to fail and get back up again willing to improve, the process will be the best form of education you could ever desire. 
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PROCESS IN POLITICS

Process is a rich journey and how to progress depends on the passenger of the process. Impacting the American political arena is - by design of the founding fathers - is a process of the greatest feat. Changing anything in our nation is not supposed to be a breeze, a snap, or a whiz. It is to be a thoughtful collaboration of tedious moves because what we have is too fine to quickly undo.

The new friends in the political arena, the civic arena, and the grassroots movement think they can change things by yelling a little louder, showing up with a few more people, or forcing certain leaders out of the room. But what they are doing is harming themselves. I am eternally grateful for the men and women that came along with me when I was first learning the process of politics; for 20 years I have been learning. But it is a worthy endeavor.
 
So if you are one who hates the process, get over it. Anything that is good and lasting has many steps to go through, and much to learn in the journey. What you do not want to do is rush the process, demonize others in the process, mock the process of growth and slow your own (or your movement’s) development. 

The fire of freedom we all seek to stoke and preserve is too worthy of a cause to take it lightly, to tear down relationships quickly, and to ignore nuggets of experience briefly. We are wise to soak in all the wisdom we can, build connections with all the people we can, because by doing so we stand on the shoulders of the greatest fire stokers behind us: the founding fathers. Because of the processes they put in place, we have a fighting chance to hopefully preserve this great nation and let freedom ring for generations to come. But we cannot do it without embracing the process.  

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Amy Hawkins (Jackson Michigan) has been professionally organizing and hosting events for 20 years. Her experience and expertise is in statewide politics, cause and movement building, and inspiring action for civic engagement.

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