Be forewarned- here is another of my odd musings on the nature of organizing….

The quote from Lawrence of Arabia contained in this clip below is my favorite from the movie and one that immediately stuck with me after hearing it years ago.
Later on in life, I realized that it was because Bedouin Shaikh Auda abu Tayi was portrayed as a wily, committed freedom fighter but more than that, as a community organizer. This speech speaks to his leadership style (well, in a violent way) and how outsiders cannot or should not judge it with their own yardstick:

Being a river to his people translated (to me) as simply being the conduit for resources and knowledge while allowing them their cultural identity. So my feeling is that it is the same for great markets: that they are rivers in their community and, as such, need to carry the knowledge and resources forward for their community without impeding the cultural flow.

Now back to your regularly scheduled non-Anthony Quinn life…