Library Hub for
Big Vision

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Prologue:  Big Vision

Scene 2

Garvey was headed out on a path of his own. Straight across a new frontier, like an open road headed for the horizon.

He was going away for at least five years. He had dreams to achieve, personal stuff he had pushed aside to create Model County. He had to go after his dreams now, and get them all done while he was free from obligations.

But he had a big obstacle to overcome first. After twenty years focused solely on work, he had a great business, and he was grateful for that. But he had no personal life to speak of!

He dreaded the thought of ending up at seventy like other successful men he knew — with no family, no friends, zero personal growth, and nothing but a big bank account to show for his entire life. He had a clear example of that in the Old Man, who had found love too late in life to do anything about it.

Garvey didn’t see himself as that kind of guy. He wasn’t sure how his life had come to this, or how to change it. But he had to clear his head and figure out what mattered most, while he still could. That was his first problem to solve, and it worried him.

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Prologue:  Big Vision

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Randall knew little, except that the Old Man had happened upon the model of a better world when he created Model County.

The private papers the Old Man had left to him referred often to the “Better World”, but offered few details about how it worked. They mainly cited years of evaluations, and a dramatic list of individual, societal and economic results.

Randall’s job was to create a smooth transition from the Old Man to himself — make sure the Vision flowed from old into new so the Journey never lost sight of the Big Vision. Could he do that? Hardly!

He could not answer basic questions: What matters most? What must you solve? What are you aiming for? Any small business knew more than he, who was running an Empire! How could his troops build what he could not see? They would end up with Visions of their own, each aiming in a different direction.

Randall frowned. He did not know what had turned the old county into a “Better World”. All he had were basic questions where he should have a Big Vision. That was the immediate problem to solve. Tomorrow, preferably.

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Prologue:  Big Vision

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As she crossed the room, Anastasia smiled warmly. She paused to exchange a few words here and there. To everyone, she was as gracious as ever. But inside, she felt very sad.

Fred Randall had been her friend and mentor. He had passed on his savvy to her, and made sure she was equipped to lead the Empire’s Model County division without him.

For twenty years, they had discussed everything together — what it would look like when it became reality, what to aim for, and what mattered most. They had promised to guard the Big Vision, and to grow it far and wide, but now there was only one to carry that out.

“I miss you, Freddie,” thought Anastasia. But going it alone was the minor challenge. Many were looking to Anastasia to lead them, and her path was uncertain with Deverin taking over. He might want her to step back while he made the decisions.

That was the problem to solve for the Empire: how to convince Deverin to let her guide him, so she could fulfill a promise and grow Model Counties across the globe! But she was used to walking into the unknown. And she would find a way.

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Prologue:  Big Vision

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T.J. Lee stared sadly across at the Randall Tower, troubled by the Journey ahead. They would have to protect the Vision — something Fred used to do. They would have to drive forward without losing direction. Carrick had been brilliant at that. But now Fred was gone and Carrick wanted to retire. T.J. Lee sighed. “The Journey must continue,” he said softly. “That is what matters most.”

It had been a long Journey — five generations. He had seen more of it than most. And now the old folks were dwindling. Would the young ones keep going to the Big Vision? He touched the seat of the Bentley, thinking of Fred Randall who, thankfully, had lived to see Model County completed. The Old Man had died happy that he had left a legacy worthy of his name.

Would the young ones value what Fred and the others had done? Would they recognize what was “Better” and keep it going? Or would the Big Vision fade away, as it had done long ago. Then a millennia later, they would spend five generations trying to rebuild it again.

This would be their problem to solve in every generation. And they had always solved it before. But for once he wondered if they would always solve it in the generations to come.

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Prologue:  Big Vision

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Vanessa leaned against the bench. After five generations, they had finally created the “Better World”. And though it was just the towns that made up Model County — it was proof that it could be done.

So they wanted to do it again. But could they repeat the success? Was it even possible, with so many people gone, or about to leave?

The Founders of Model County had come together over many years. Theirs was a rare confluence of talents, resources, persistence, and vision — capable of creating a Better World — not easy to bring together again. Now their numbers were declining fast.

That raised a critical issue — they must retain the talent they could, and add new talent, and back up every role across Model County. Because the biggest names were planning to move on, and many might follow. Then all the secrets they had spent generations hunting down and piecing together would be forgotten again.

And that led to their historical problem to solve: how to pass on the knowledge, culture and capabilities of an ideal world. We cannot create a Better World if we keep starting over, thought Vanessa. We have to aim for the horizon, and keep going to the Visions Beyond.

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Prologue:  Big Vision

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Kathleen had told Vanessa about the Big Vision — so far away they could only see the parts that were close, and would have to finish the Journey to see the whole thing. But that would not be easy, because the Journey would have many paths and sudden turns, and they would have to pay attention or get lost.

Amalia had passed on secrets of the Journey: ‘Create the Vision but always aim for the Big Vision. If you do that, every Vision will bring you closer, and one day you will reach a Better World.’ Then Amalia had taken her here, and they had gazed out at the patched rooftops and faded piers of the Model County. It had not been a model of anything then. It had looked sad, like a place with a broken heart.

Vanessa had tried to see how a place that was so sad could become happy again. But she had been too young to know what a better world would look like.

She had not understood that it needed people to create better lives, businesses and communities. She had not understood that it had many problems to solve, or what it would take to solve them. She knew it now because she could see what to aim for. But she also knew how difficult it would be to repeat.

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Prologue:  Big Vision

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Of all her memories, Vanessa recalled most clearly what her great-grandmothers had told her.

Great-Grandma Kathleen had told her about the Big Vision — so big they could only see a few Visions down the path. ‘The Big Vision is the end goal of a series of Visions, and the Journey just continues through all the Visions until it arrives.’

Then she had looked deep into Vanessa’s eyes and said, ‘The Big Vision is your compass, dear. So keep it tuned and use it often, and it will help you stay on the path.’

She had explained that the Big Vision was so far away they could only see the parts that were close, and would have to finish the Journey to see the whole thing. But that would not be easy because the Journey would have many paths and sudden turns, so they would have to pay attention or get lost in the bush.

Vanessa remembered thinking that the Journey sounded like an adventure into the unknown, with just a map and a compass pointing to a big treasure. She could hardly wait!