by Del Albright, BlueRibbon
Coalition Ambassador
If you're out there fighting for access to public lands for your
sport/hobby or interest, allow me to offer some input into your
strategy: Never underestimate your opponent! You've heard this
before, but let me expand the idea a bit. It's happened more than
once lately, that we're so close to victory, only to have the rug
pulled out by our opponents at the last minute (e.g. lawsuits).
This advice applies to many other aspects of life too. Every boxer
and professional competitive sports player knows never to
underestimate anything. Never underestimate the odds against you,
whether it be working on something in your shop, or out in the
wilds enjoying your sport. Murphy's Law is always out there. If
you're a regular reader of my columns, then you know enough about
me to know I'm no kid, and that I've had my share of runs around
the block. So what I have to say is based on experience. In fact, I
think they designed the block around me sometimes. Be that as it
may, if you're new to my writings, then please accept this
invitation to visit my web site to learn more about me. Suffice to
say that my life experiences have included: getting shot at in more
than one country/war; running around many blocks; living through
divorce; jumping out of airplanes; being thrown from horses; being
flipped from a jeep; swimming among sharks; and writing country
music (smile). I have survived and really never even broken a bone
by not underestimating my opponents. There's a few steps involved
in learning *not to underestimate.* I'd like to share them with you
from my perpsective. First, we must learn to listen in order to
determine who is worthy of our attention. I call it aerobic
listening - where you're actively involved, listening for every
detail, participating with questions, trying to fully understand
what's being said (or implied). I always tell young people who ask
me how to succeed in the fire service (my previous career), that
learning to listen is the key -- especially to the older folks
who've *been there and done that.* It goes hand in hand with the
old addage about seek first to understand; then be understood. It's
all about communication and listening; but it's the first step of
learning not to underestimate your opponent. Probably the worse
trap for many of us is to b thinking of our reply rather than
listening to what's being said. Aerobic listening is the way to
avoid this from limiting our full understanding of the situation.
Second, it's important to learn to rely on your instincts and gut
reaction. Learning to trust and listen to your instincts is not
easy. It takes practice, but it is one of the most powerful tools
you have. The reason many people don't trust their instincts is
that they don't know how to listen to them. But if you can get to
the point where you listen to your gut (honestly, frankly), you'll
find that you may have a better handle on life's situation than you
realize. When listening to our elder generation, I rely on my gut
instincts to help me separate war stories from helpful hints. But I
always listen. Why should we reinvent wheels when all they need is
a little grease? Third, we've got to take time to do our homework
and know our opponents. I'm often reminded of General George Patton
during WW II who whipped his enemies in warfare and proclaimed
about one enemy General: *I read your book!* In other words, he
really took the time and effort to learn about his opponent. He
applied his homework and won. Knowing where anti-access folks are
coming from is critical to developing strategies to beat them.
Visit their web sites; participate in their chat rooms; go to a few
of their meetings; read their propaganda. Fourth, never become
complacent or figure you've got things rounded up until the last
cow is in the barn. Sometimes the battle for access can be like
pushing water up hill; you've got to keep pushing in spite of the
odds. And don't assume the battle is won prematurely. Plan ahead
for contingencies and fall backs. It pays off. Again, don't
underestimate your opponent. Assume he/she is going to do something
to your barn, even after the cows are in it. Then be prepared to
handle it. Some folks call this Strategic Planning. It will pay
huge dividends to your efforts in life if you can learn to do this
(individually and organizationally). The idea of not
underestimating folks has been around a long time. It still holds
true today. And on the bright side, it applies to friendship and
family too. My local newspaper recently told of a young woman
needing a special type, very uncommon kidney transplant. Her sister
stepped up to the plate to offer one of hers as the type was a
perfect match. It doesn't seem like a big deal unless you know the
family. The sisters had not spoken in over five years because some
ridiculous family squabble. We can win more battles and preserve
our access if we never underestimate the forces or influences in
our lives. Give yourself an edge by certainly not underestimating
those who oppose our way of life. ************** Del Albright, a
California resident public lands advocate, has authored volumes
about multiple use and public lands access for over 20 years. His
articles have appeared in many magazines, newspapers and enthusiast
periodicals. Four-wheeler, hunter, fisherman, photographer,
philosopher and back country explorer; visit Del's web site at
www.delalbright.com/ for more
information.
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