Shakespeare beach, Santa Monica Bay, Los Angeles

America never celebrated its birthday like this year. Dozens of city workers clean up a strange mix of fireworks, decorations and bullets from the promenade. Detectives circle the parade wagon, covered in blood and flowers. It remains as a silent testament of either devastation or celebration, dependent on where you focus.

Spread out across the boardwalk are mostly individuals, staring at the waves, or perhaps the horizon beyond. Lost in thoughts of God knows what. Sorrow or escape perhaps. Many without a home, but with hope. Many with neither. In one of the scarce groups where people are in conversation, someone asks Syd how he sees the future after such a chaotic start in the country of hopes and dreams.

“The leading sentiment I picked up on in the past week was that of disappointing leadership. Perspective aside, this is what echoes through the community. Now with most of the established leaders being in heaven or hell, a new phase begins, Rebuild they call it.

That begs a question, what are we building? Again? If what we rebuild is not what we like, perhaps we should try something different. A new set of leaders emerges with a silent mission to be better than what came before, but equipped only with the experience from before. A good heart doesn't make a good leader. Come let's take a walk and get out of the afternoon sun."

Syd and a few others get up, cross the promenade and go into town.
 

1st Avenue of Commitment

"Be careful, this is a two-way street.” Syd says as the group crosses to the other side.

"If you want to build anything, you need a plan and next you need commitment to see it through. An idea is not the same as a plan. And we should not necessarily look to the bosses to come up with the plan. If you want something, collaborate towards it. Swallow your pride and don't expect others to execute on your plans right away. Build relations first, agree on a plan over time, then build the country.

Not shooting people isn't a plan for the future. It's nothing. Define what you want to do, not what you don't want to do. Next we should not expect leaders to execute on that plan. Their participation is welcome, but a leader's role is to govern and direct, not perform tricks in a golden cage.

Rebuilding things is a bottom-up effort. From strategy to execution, everyone should participate, especially all the members. Be the change you want to see in the world. It's easier for leaders to evolve when the members evolve as well. Additionally that should come a long way in changing your standing. Come to talk about it, let's turn right here.”

Boulevard of Doing Nothing Wrong, Isn't Good Enough

"People have dreams for this place that aren't reality. We have memories from the past that are a far-cry from what we experience. Even in a phase of rebuild it's likely that we look at each other with mistrust, caused by the pains of the past.

We can not ask for that to go away. If you don't take care of deep cuts, the wounds will infect, not disappear. For that reason any of us that is a member that doesn't do anything wrong is doing too little to change what collectively hurts us. If you don't want leaders to circle jerk in their luxurious lounges, you shouldn't sit and circle jerk your mates down the harbor.

In fact, everyone should stop jerking, get to the table with their leaders and work together. Actually work together. Family first. Friends second.”

At last the group crosses into the park, where large oak trees provide relief from the scorching sun. Syd opens a box and passes some beers around.

Park of Promise

"There's one tricky thing about rebuilding, you'd have to do it together. You can't build something great by yourself. And together means trusting that the other won't let you fall. That's taking a risk and exposing yourself, whether a member or leader. But not trying it, that's a risk as well. The week of 4th of July as a result. Happy birthday, America.

You don't have to be friends to build things together. But alone, we don't build anything. Let's come up with a plan, discuss and improve it. Let's execute on it. Let's do it together and reap the fruits of our efforts and through it learn to trust each other again.

What we need to rebuild is that; trust. The country will follow."