Most of us do this at least once in our lives. And if we’re back at that place, chances are it’s because we look back on it with fond memories. We’re nostalgic for the family dinners, Christmas Eves, and nights our parents let us stay up late.
But when we exit our fantasies and snap back into reality, we tend to react to these changes with disgust. I mean, how dare everything change without us? It’s like someone stole our childhood.
I’m guessing it’s been almost three decades since I’ve been in Orlando. In elementary school, I took the obligatory Mouse pilgrimage with my family. I don’t remember our hotel, or details about the parks, or even what grade I was in. But I remember enough to look back fondly.
I remember EPCOT Center (as it was formerly named; the acronym stood for Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow) more than any other attraction. It couldn’t have existed for more than five years at the time.
The ultra-modern motif fascinated me. I was awestruck by Walt Disney’s vision of Utopia — so much that I still occasionally try to recreate the experience in my mind.
But I never went back. Not until this month.
I’m certain there’s a logical reason for not going back. But I can’t help thinking — knowing that it has changed; knowing that I’ve changed — that going back would spoil my good memories.
Our industry is gathering at WINDPOWER 2015 in Orlando this month to meet, learn, network, and maybe have a little fun (time permitting). But our primary responsibility is to assess where the wind energy industry stands today while making actionable steps toward a vision for tomorrow.
In light of that, I’m afraid we can’t afford to get caught up in the nostalgia and mystique of the industry’s past — no matter how recent. It’s not that we can’t or shouldn’t celebrate our past successes. We can and should. However, we have to make sure that doing so doesn’t blind us to today’s reality or the vision for tomorrow.
I’ll be the first to set an example. I’m staying the heck away from Epcot.
Thanks for reading, and come by and see Wind Systems at Booth 4735!
