Profile of a Committee

Of the many committees I've served on, few ever accomplished much of anything. Most seemed satisfied to be simply meeting. This made me curious. Why can some committees effect change while others, after a myriad of meetings produce only useless information and negligible results?
"Useless information!!!???" "Negligible results!!!!????" Sputter, Sputter, Sputter. "Why, what about the Committee to Study Over-Involvement?" [The committee met six times a week for two and one-half years and after compiling the reports of their 5,986 sub-committees concluded that, ta da...`over-involvement' is caused by being involved in too much!]
"Well then, what about the Leadership Committee?" [This committee was formed to work out a program to develop leaders. However, after two years of `in fighting,' the group disbanded and its members returned to their former positions as punch-press operators and check-out clerks. Its sum accomplishment was an excellent example of what leaders are not!]
"But, but, how could all this be true? Those committees contained the pillars of our community." Yes, but the total accomplishments of any committee is equal only to the sum of the individual motivations of its members like:

Bill Bigg
Billy is an `expert' on everything. How this occurred is a mystery because he has never done any research. His big mission in life is to protect the `little guys' (whom he knows nothing about) from the `big guys' (whom he also knows nothing about). Billy loves controversy; it gives him a chance to hear himself talk. He fought for everything he has and believes you should, too. What he doesn't realize is that his struggle was caused by his own ignorance.

Laura Lawful
Laura needs rules and regulations because life scares her to death. To make people behave, she threatens them; to make them perform, she rewards them. But never, never does she simply trust them. Control! That's her solution...but what's her problem? Only Laura knows, because, surely, it springs from the view she has of herself.

Sam Solitude
Sam goes along for the ride—never making any waves. Whatever you say is ok with Sam because he knows he's going to do what he damn well pleases anyway. What he lacks in courage he makes up for in cunning. He thinks it's better to waste your life than his. It takes about a year before his committees turn into mobs! But by that time Sam's clearly out of sight.

Polly Anna
Polly likes her world sweet and nice...so she pretends a lot. She pretends she's honest and sincere, and never admits to any negative thoughts or less than honorable intentions. Polly always wears a great big smile...it makes lying through her teeth a whole lot easier.

Carl Carefree
Carl loves to talk about how free he is...how rules don't hang him up. He puts others down for being so rigid and demanding and presents himself as the epitome of self-acceptance. He has no problems, but is more than willing to discuss yours. Nothing bothers Carl who can cope with anything...thanks to the tranquilizers he eats like candy.

Vivian Vision
Viv believes everyone should feel honored to have her among them because she has `The Vision'. She speaks in ethereal terms no one can quite grasp, and suffers greatly (and dramatically) from your worldly views. When you mention money, she shudders. When you discuss practicality, she wails and groans. When you say, "No, Viv, just praying is not enough," she goes into a coma. For Viv everything is `mission' and must reach beyond the insignificant details of life, probably because she cannot face the possibility that she has failed at everything she has ever tried to do.

Sara Sweetbreath
Sara has lived her life as a very gentle and soft-spoken person, never causing any problem or taking any stand. She listens, then sighs and agrees. One day Sara woke up to the sound of life passing her by and decided to make everyone pay for it. Now, talking with Sara is like walking through a mine field. Ned Needy
Ned feels like a loser. His wife doesn't think much of his accomplishments, to his kids he's a zero; in a group he blends in with the furniture. One day, however, he discovered people who had needs and no qualifications; so Ned let himself right in. Now he's involved with all their `Big' projects...and he hangs around with their `Big' people...who are doing all the `Big' things. Poor little Ned!

Recognize any of these people? I do. I've been each of them at one time or another. Ah, but wait, there is one more!

Anna Complishment
Anna limits her involvements out of a sense of justice to the project and her fellow workers...does her homework before meetings...realizes she does not have all the answers...follows through on assignments...and believes when people are trusted they respond from their strengths.

And Anna? I am Anna each time I rise up out of my needs and fears in order to truly serve others. And to acquire her gifts I search deeply, struggle painfully, pray sincerely and `begin again' repeatedly. Anna is my idea of a caring person, a person of service to others; someone I `choose' to be.