This past weekend restored me and offered hope. For too long, I had accepted our graffiti-laden building across from Edmunds Middle School and had grown discouraged by endless construction, chronic homelessness, open drug use, and blighted brick-walled buildings nearby. Simply, I just stopped caring enough, and that’s on me. Thankfully, Mission Murals VT rallied purpose and paint for change. Over 160 volunteers, more than 100 donors, amazing artists, residents, VCET members, and so many kids showed up and painted a beautiful new mural. Organizers Jill Badolato and Mike Lane, building owner Fidium, along with the amazing artist Clark Derbes, have brought “Building Blocks” to life. And, our city is the better for it. For the last 11 years, VCET’s innovation and coworking hub has called this gateway spot home. Challenges to complete the project arrived immediately, but the volunteers pressed forward undeterred. Professor Randy Pausch’s Last Lecture reminded me that:
“The brick walls are there for a reason.
The brick walls are not there to keep us out.
The brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something.
Because brick walls are there to stop the people who don’t want it badly enough.
They’re there to stop the other people.”
Today, our city’s gateway brick wall is a beautiful work of art. It’s a fresh statement of the possible. This community showed us all just how badly people want change. Our 150 members and team are so very grateful and as Yoda would say, “Strong, the community force in Burlington is.”
-Dave
