The Mighty Pen

The pen is mightier than the sword.

As proof, I invite you to consider how two founding fathers – one musically famous, the other a complete unknown – conjured our present day world by putting pen to paper to breathe life into a seminal idea.

The Federalist Papers – penned (mostly) by Alexander Hamilton – extolled how uniting states in common cause might give birth to a great nation.

The Homes Association Handbook – penned by Byron Hanke in 1964 – extolled how uniting neighbors in common cause might give birth to a new form of more-affordable housing.

The nation Hamilton envisioned and the shared-assets housing model Hanke envisioned both now exist.

Sadly, each is now beset by challenges which threaten their survival.

The good news, though, is that the mighty pen – when wisely wielded by one who might conjure a brighter future – still holds the power to first plot, then shine a light upon, a pathway to a brighter tomorrow.