Photo Credit: No credit needed
Editor’s Note: This column, “LBWA” (Leadership By Wandering Around), is based on the premise that, in order to find out what’s going on in the field, a parks and rec leader has to leave his or her desk and “wander around” the area of operations, talk to people, ask questions, and kick around ideas with the individuals in the thick of delivering services to the public. So the author will bring up issues and ask the leaders among the readership to share their knowledge and experiences.
Well, I thought I had seen it all, but I was once again amazed and mildly amused when NBC aired its first episode of “Parks and Recreation,” a sit-com. NBC describes it thusly: “The new series is a half-hour mockumentary that looks at the exciting world of local government.”
I’ve become more open-minded as the years have shown me that I’m not always right, even though it may seem as though I should be. So I’m not going to judge the wisdom of network execs just on this one episode.
The Breakdown
For those who may not have seen it, I’ll give a rundown on the “plot.” The scene is a small town--Pawnee, Ind.--and the plot revolves around the day-to-day life of the parks and rec department.