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POINT OF VIEW - December unites people from various faiths for celebrations, fostering connections and community spirit. Most certainly, Christmas encourages renewed unity and collective action through holiday traditions and shared moods.
Christmas can be a strategic moment for community resurgence, for revitalization. It is during this holiday season when individuals often become more generous and introspective, where the atmosphere of goodwill inspires people to engage in meaningful conversations about how to strengthen neighborhoods.
I have seen how much the holiday season causes people to reflect on the year they are leaving behind and deliberate on ways to give back. These days of increased generosity and thoughtfulness help foster a collaborative spirit, encouraging everyone to contribute to positive changes within their neighborhoods.
Yes, people reassess their priorities and when they do the opportunity for a shared sense of ‘reset’ emerges. When people search for newer meanings and connections, and about giving, they are emotionally receptive to discussions about commitment to the common good, community rebuilding, volunteering, and supporting local initiatives that improve the community.
Certainly, we have wavered through a period of complacency with its surges of protests, and we have seen once daring voices falling silent. But I assure you that daring voices are not absent but scattered. And the resurgence felt during the holidays may bring these fragmented voices together into a chorus that results in immense improvements in our communities.
I know that we have the temperament for unity and action because I have witnessed it so many times. But as we seek to achieve our goals we must do so with clarity and integrity. And we must have a sense of proportion, in other words, to know what is really important and what is not.
I sensed an added meaning of American ethics through songs and movies, and the books I read. These cultural influences provided me with an understanding of American values. I knew that key principles that guide us best are integrity, courage, fairness, and the pursuit of unity. I was especially inspired by a popular song of a past era, “What is America to me.”
Frank Sinatra sang the stirring song on an ABC musical special from Madison Square Garden in New York City, broadcast nationwide on Oct. 13, 1974. “It's a song about this great big, wonderful, imperfect country,” he said in the introduction, and it is “a place we call home, probably the greatest nation ever to be put on this earth.”
Accompanied by the Woody Herman band, and conveying vibrant emotion with his rich voice, Sinatra sang: “What is America to me?” He recollected the house he lived in, and longingly acknowledged the people, and “The howdy and the handshake, the air of feeling free, and the right to speak your mind out, that's America to me.”
Now, two generations later, the very presence of today’s political discord makes the idea of community unity and need for statesmen not only possible but necessary. Of course, political conflict has always been a part of public life, but we can have it without the velocity and the visibility of disagreement. We do not have to amplify outrage. We can be patient, principled, and we must think of the long view, the big picture, and the endless possibilities.
We should encourage individuals who think beyond the moment and use the holiday spirit as motivation.
During this holiday season, I hope these reflections encourage us to share positivity and support, building unity and generosity within our community. Let us take this opportunity to connect and work together, fostering a welcoming environment where everyone can help strengthen our neighborhood.
During my early formative education, I developed an appreciation for ancient Greece, particularly its philosophical quotations and proverbs. With respect to my perspective on revitalizing our communities, Aristotle stated: “One citizen differs from another, but the salvation of the community is the common business of them all.”
(Nick Patsaouras is an electrical engineer and civic leader whose firm has shaped projects across residential, commercial, medical, educational, institutional, and entertainment sectors. A longtime public advocate, he ran for Mayor in 1993 with a focus on rebuilding L.A. through transportation after the 1992 civic unrest. He has served on major public boards, including the Department of Water and Power, Metro, and the Board of Zoning Appeals, helping guide infrastructure and planning policy in Los Angeles. He is the author of the book "The Making of Modern Los Angeles.")
