Nohe: Signs of wear emerging in Prince William community

The “Welcome to Prince William County” sign on the Prince William Parkway is showing some wear. A few of the letters are missing, and the bright white has faded to a dingy gray. As the sign has stood sentry to the entrance to our community, it has been battered by weather, traffic and change. The county the sign heralds has recently taken on some damage as well.

It wasn’t that long ago that Prince William was a model of innovation, literally looking forward with its Innovation land use policy to attract new businesses. We passed road bonds to mitigate our traffic congestion when the state seemed incapable of doing so. Parkland was preserved, and schools were beik ng built and refurbished at a record pace. It was a renaissance as we moved from the northernmost edge of RoVA (Rest of Virginia) to a robust member of NOVA.

With success came growing pains. There were some who didn’t want their home to change and others who thought the change was moving too slowly or in the wrong direction. As our population soared, people came with new ideas, new cultures and new expectations. A tug of war between factions took shape, and in that tension some saw an opportunity to exploit fears for their own self-aggrandizement. Such was the level of division in the county at that time that documentaries were made about it, but then came the housing crash, and the factions quieted for a while.

Residents hunkered down, weathering the economic hurricane. Simply keeping our head above water became the goal as promised projects were delayed and, in some cases, shelved altogether. Nonetheless, Prince William persevered, kept the lights on and kept its eye on the flickering light at the end of the tunnel.

During this time, there were still underlying east vs. west, growth vs. protection, public investment vs. government retraction conflicts, but these disagreements seemed quaint compared to what we had been through. Today, those arguments of the Great Recession appear downright sophomorically wide-eyed and guileless in contrast to the battles we see now. Dormant divisions have resurfaced, splitting the county along familiar fault lines; however, new fissures of strife have begun splintering Prince William.

There is a different vitriol in how we speak to each other. This observation is not revelatory; the national stopgap between our baser thoughts and our mouths has been well-documented. Nonetheless, to talk derogatorily about something far removed is one thing, but to do so about your own community and neighbors is far more harmful.

How a community talks about itself, over time, morphs into a self-fulfilling prophecy. Prince William’s self-talk, of late, has not been good. Our focus has moved from our potential to our problems. That is not to say that one should be overlooked in favor of the other, but rather problems should be seen as hurdles to overcome in meeting our potential instead of as ends in themselves.

When was the last time we heard someone talk about how much they love being from or living in Prince William? To love a place does not mean to ignore its issues, but rather to lead from love and pride in the place you call home. It is to look for the common ground, since we are all sharing common ground.

We have lost faith in each other and become focused on walls instead of tables. Our collective conviction that every action is a conspiracy of malice is our community’s most pressing issue. It is the barrier between us and progress.

Disagreements should be acknowledged and grievances heard, but that must be the first and not the only step. What follows should be cooperation coupled with an understanding that no one is ever completely right or absolutely wrong, including ourselves. Absolutism is rarely productive, and compromise is not failure.

To move forward, we must rekindle the enthusiasm of our past. The new year of 2022 could be pivotal for Prince William, but for that to be true, we must collectively resolve to tear down our walls and sit at the community table where the real work is accomplished.

Kristina Nohe is a political activist, adoption advocate and homeschooling mom who is proud to be from Prince William County.