Wonderful examples of perseverance, overcoming adversity in the face of overwhelming odds, are often provided by the most unlikely actors. Ordinary people who become super heroes, like Superman or woman.
This example is about a situation affecting farmers and other rural residents in our province of Ontario right now, but it has serious implications for people all over the world.
It’s a reminder that sometimes we have to make a stand for what we believe is right. With little warning we have to make the leap from quietly going about our business and our daily lives, to being a crusader, to fight for our way of life, our health, our property values and as I found out personally, our freedom and our lives.
Here is a brief background:
Esther Wrightman is a young mother in rural Ontario who has become a crusader against the Ontario Government’s policy of allowing huge wind turbines to be erected on some of the province’s prime agricultural land without consulting local residents. Not only not consulting residents, but not allowing the involvement of any level of local government, county or township.
This has resulted in plummeting property values, serious health issues and affected endangered species of birds. It has divided rural communities into those who see the short-term advantage of renting land to the turbine operators against those who prefer to maintain the beauty and natural charm of the countryside.
To add insult, the wind turbine policy does not make economic sense and is a major contributor to electricity in this province becoming the most expensive in North America. The province does not need most of the energy produced by the turbines, it gets enough from non-polluting nuclear generating stations and the Niagara Hydro scheme. Surplus power is exported at a loss.
Disclaimer: I am not against renewable energy sources, including wind turbines. I am against big government interfering in the democratic process, destroying rural communities and wasting taxpayers funds on economically unsound projects.
Esther Wrightman became an activist to demand that local residents have a say in the proliferation of turbines approved and proposed along the shores of Lake Huron.
She received no help from those environmentalist groups and professional do-gooders so ready to take on big oil. No help from the media except small local newspapers and Sun Media.
Finally she was sued by one of the major players, Nexterra, a $32 billion group who are attempting to keep her quiet.
Most people would have caved in, given up, not Esther Wrightman.
For the sake of her family’s health, she has had to move them and her business to New Brunswick, but she has not given up her fight, she has not backed down under the threat of legal action, she has vowed to have her day in court and to keep fighting for justice.
The story of Esther Wrightman and her perseverance against seemingly insurmountable obstacles is another excellent example of the power of commitment that I wrote about in my previous post.
It shows that perseverance needs the fuel of commitment and commitment comes from having a cause, a cause so important that it ignites our passion and launches us on a crusade. It could be to right a huge injustice, to protect our family, our community, to run a marathon or to build an extraordinary life.
Causes are goals that are written in stone, absolute, not nice-to-have or if-only-I-could, type of wishes.
To fight for our cause we have to be on a crusade.
What’s your crusade?
Leave a comment, start a discussion.
Image courtesy of satit_srihin / FreeDigitalPhotos.net