|
|
|
|
ISSUE 16, 10 FEBRUARY 2026
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Welcome back to The Bend!
|
|
The Bend follows a simple rhythm each week. The Eddy Line opens with a one-line thought or
observation, something short enough to remember but worth thinking
about. What the Current Pulled Toward dives a
little deeper into where the previous week’s energy went, whether that’s
a project, a partnership, or a personal lesson learned. Signal Fire highlights a person, place, or initiative
that deserves some attention. And One Thought Worth
Sitting With closes things out with a brief reflection or quote
that will hopefully help guide you through whatever you may be dealing
with.
It’s part journal, part field note, and hopefully
something that makes you pause for a moment before diving back into the
current.
|
|
|
|
|
|
“Fear is a mile wide and an inch deep.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
What the Current Pulled Toward
|
This week the current pulled toward
imposter syndrome.
I had the privilege of presenting at the
Wisconsin Park and Recreation Association Conference last week. It was
my first time speaking at another state association’s event and on paper
there was no reason to feel anything but gratitude and
excitement.
The lineup was stacked
with well-known speakers. The engagement was strong. The conversations
were meaningful. And yet, somewhere in the back of my mind, I kept
asking, What the hell are
you doing here?
Rationally, I know
I’ve put in the work. I’ve been in this profession for decades. I’ve led
teams, written plans, navigated budgets, built partnerships, and made
plenty of mistakes along the way. But imposter syndrome isn’t rational.
It doesn’t check your resume before it speaks up.
Jason Bookheimer and I presented on leading with empathy and
the importance of prioritizing mental health in parks and recreation,
topics that matter deeply to both of us. The irony isn’t lost on me that
we were talking about psychological safety while I was privately
questioning whether I deserved to be in the front of the
room.
The takeaway for me wasn’t that
the doubt disappeared. Trust me, it didn’t. The takeaway was that I
showed up anyway. I spoke anyway. I leaned into the conversation anyway.
The work itself isn’t about eliminating fear. It’s about doing it
afraid.
- Mike.
|
|
|
|
|
|
The Wisconsin Park and Recreation
Association (WPRA) set a high bar for professional development and
leadership in our field last week and it’s apparent that this wasn’t a
one-off. Their annual conference brought together park and recreation
professionals from across the country for education, connection, and
forward-thinking dialogue. The energy in the room was tangible: a mix of
seasoned leaders and emerging professionals all invested in
strengthening the role parks play in community well-being.
What stood out to me the most was the culture of
engagement. Folks showed up ready to learn, ask questions, wrestle with
hard topics - including things like mental health and workplace
culture.
WPRA and associations like it
create the kind of professional space where growth happens, even when
it’s uncomfortable.
To learn more about WPRA, click
here.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
One Thought Worth Sitting With
|
|
This week’s theme: Imposter Syndrome.
“Courage is not the absence of fear, but the triumph
over it.“
-Nelson Mandela
|
|
|
|
|
|
Follow Oxbow on Social Media
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
