Today’s fascinating and wonderful story in the New York Times reflects what so many of us are feeling–it captures our national mood. 

The headline says it all: “Americans are doing more, buying less, poll finds.”

The deeper meaning is not just that Americans are managing through this “Great Recession” with a willingness to do what it takes to help their families, but that we are walking with more humility about experiences over things. We are, in a sense, gaining a deeper appreciation of our lives, our families, the connection that comes from valuable time together. We are collectively measuring what really matters. People over things, experiences over buying.

By the way, how do kids spell ‘L-O-V-E?’ The answer is ‘T-I-M-E.’

Families are spending more time together, doing more things together, getting out of the malls and into parks and community centers.

Yesterday Wendy and I took our four kids skating at the Seattle Center Ice Rink. These are the good old days. My own family, and millions across the country, are rediscovering one another and our collective quality of life outside of buying, buying, buying in genuine and meaningful ways.

I know it sounds strange, but that is the very type of genuine, real and deep reflection about systems change that I hope we as state government can bring to our work. It goes to the soul of what state government does. We can’t bring about reform in education, health care, transportation, environmental protection and other areas until we have a more profound sense of appreciation for what’s important.

Government needs this same sort of teachable moment that families are experiencing.

My hope is that those who serve in government whether elected or appointed or employed, will step back during these difficult times and decide to be part of the solution with courageous honesty. Defensiveness in so many years–technology, education, health care, transportation–hurts us all. We want those who work on the front lines to come alive with their ideas. Don’t hide your ideas, your name tag or your enthusiasm for change because of fear of speaking out for positive reform. Question authority not to cause a fight but to help our state get ‘unstuck.’ Is your job really at risk for suggesting positive change and new approaches within your system? Or is it our perception of fear? I don’t believe for a moment that our state’s CEO would ever, in any way, condone that attitude.

We are at risk of losing our way as a state because we allow ourselves to be gripped by fear of the institutional infrastructure of the status quo. We tinker around the edges because we are told that the only viable strategy politically is modest incrementalism. But we don’t seem to question that core assumption. I don’t believe it is true and I don’t believe everyone else does either. The status quo and institutional infrastructure of the bureaucracy are geniuses at measuring inputs, process and effort.

I believe that we could create a bold, systems approach to major priorities and bring about reform that could help us leap into the 21st Century. As it stands we are hoping to just reach the finish line of Race to the Top funds, we are hoping to find a way to keep our colleges and universities functioning, we are hoping Boeing, Microsoft, Amazon and other major employers won’t continue to leave, we are hoping but we are not always acting to get in front of the issues.

In the 1990s we experienced the ‘dot com’ burst. In 2000s we experience the real estate burst. Today I believe the next coming ‘burst’ is government services in that there will be new demands from the public for transparency about how we function, accomplish goals and how we spend the public’s money. It’s not about left or right, conservative or progressive, the deeper battle of ideas and philosophy is between those willing to embrace the risk of change and those who benefit from the silence of the status quo.

Your partner in service,

Reuven.