You might remember that a couple months ago I posted about a conversation I overheard in a coffee shop. It was a “small but passionate cohort of chicken fans” and they were trying to get the city to allow chickens in urban yards.
And you might have thought, I was crazy for even suggesting that this unassuming group of neighbors could actually affect change in their city. After all, the saying “you can’t fight city hall” doesn’t exist for nothing. You would have been even more dubious if you knew that the same request was rejected in the same city in 2017.
So I’m not surprised if you rolled you eyes at my last post about chickens. But I’m having a bit of an I-told-you-so moment here, because the new resolution just passed. “Hen keeping” is now legal in the city of Mansfield, Ohio.
Yes, it is cool that city residents will now be able to raise chickens in their backyards. But what’s really exciting about the passing of this legislation is that it was a grassroots effort, 100% organized by community members. That’s right, neighbors and friends of all ages discovered a need in the community and made it happen. Instead of sitting around and complaining about the previous law, they rolled up their sleeves and did something about it. They formed a community group, talked with neighbors, drafted and revised legislation, met with council members, spoke at council meetings, gathered signatures, presented a petition, and more.
Like I said in my previous post on this topic, this is a perfect example of the success we all can have when we lead with moral authority. By modeling the way forward, working together as a cohesive unit, and patiently and consistently following through, we can affect change in our communities, our workplaces, and society as whole.
So the next time you suggest a bold change and your colleagues roll their eyes and tell you “you can’t fight city hall”, just point them to the “Friends for Mansfield Backyard Chickens.” Because it turns out that sometimes you can fight city hall. You just have to actually try.
Inspiration articles:
nicolederr.com 