4 minute read
The parable of the prodigal son (since the son was given
Jerry W. Porter
CEO/Publisher
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POBox 1292, Corinth, MS 38835-1292 Cell: 662-643-6842 Email: read.newsflash@gmail.com
If you think one person cannot bring about meaningful change in this world, think again. In order to make a change, observation is key. Each month, I get the opportunity to observe the city landscape while delivering newspapers and boy, there are noticeable differences from city to city.
Growing up in South Corinth I can recall the sense of joy, pride, and the family and communal attitude that radiated throughout the community. I remember an elderly gentleman named Mr. Primrose having his garden tilled by a team of mules to ready it for spring planting; there was Mrs. Ruby Hunter next door pampering her roses for picking, and Mr. Bill raising his chickens for plucking. Boy, those were the days where pride was king.
As I look back over my monthly delivery trek, I can vividly see the common thread of broken windows in many communities. So, my curiosity as to why prompted me to do a little research when I stumbled upon social scientists, James Q. Wilson and George L. Kelling’s Broken Window Theory. They believe that the sign of broken windows is a predictor for various environmental conditions and behaviors. Intrigued by their theory, I decided to dig a little further.
While researching, I began to think about something that a pastor mentioned in one of his sermons a few months ago. He said, “It doesn’t matter where you go in America people act the same". Still curious as to why I was seeing this common thread, I stumbled across Dr. Albert Bandura’s Social Learning Theory about people learn from watching others. In other words, "monkey see, monkey do".
The age-old saying monkey see, monkey do caused me to revert back to my college psychology class and the story of Imo, the macaque from the Island of Koshima. As you may know, many of our behavioral traits are modeled by our peers and our surroundings and for years researchers tried, in vain, to observe the lifestyle of an elusive troop of free-ranging monkeys.
They finally enticed the monkeys of the forest by leaving
sweet potatoes and other treats as bait on the open beach, where observation and study could be made more easily. Careful observation revealed that different subgroups behaved differently. When the researchers put out the goods the older monkeys resisted sampling as the younger ones advantageously ate the samples, after which the older monkeys followed.
One day Imo, a female macaque, did something no other monkey had done- she began washing the sand off of her sweet potatoes by tossing them in the salty sea water. When the researchers returned ten years later, the habit of washing sweet potatoes in the sea had spread throughout the troops of macaques. This habit of sweet potato washing had become established as a new cultural element in the troops of macaques.
It was hard for the researchers to believe their findings so they tried another experiment to keep the troop in the open area a little longer. This time they tossed unhusked rice onto the sandy beaches. The diet of unhusked rice caused the monkeys to take a little longer to sift sand out of the rice before eating it: the researchers had not reckoned with Imo’s inventiveness.
Imo scooped up a hand full of rice and threw the whole lot into the water. The sand sank to the bottom, the rice floated to the top and she skimmed off the rice. Again, Imo’s eating habit was copied by the other troops and a new eating habit soon took root.
Like Imo, the macaque from the Island of Koshima, you too can change your culture by modeling new behavior. The lyrics to the song says, One Monkey Don’t Stop No Show, but one monkey can change its culture. Remember, monkey see, monkey do - Be careful of your actions because people will mimic you!
Whoo! Whoo! Unit Next Time! All Aboard!
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Monthly Meditation
They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bring his sheaves with him. Psalm 126:5-6
