The Power of Narrative

In my normal life, I start the day with a very good cup of coffee and the Globe and Mail. A calm set-up to what often becomes a hectic day. You know, that pause - a breath. A purely personal rhythm for that short period of time. Today was a little different - hustle out the door after staying up late to do all the required reading, share the sidewalk with intent young MIT students, squeeze onto the subway with the other Harvard Square-bound students and land at our classroom temporaily housed at the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) where some of the greatest economists in the country conduct unbiased economic research. Seriously. I share elevators with them. I am not making this up!

And as the coffee kicks in, Professor Thomas Kochan embarks on the first class of the day - What is Labour's role in the 21st Century? How can Labour get out in front with a positive message in the there ain't no doubt about it attack on Labour that will be full blown in the 2012 US presidential election campaign? What is Labour's big picture vision? What is the labour narrative? Can we tell our story? I'm in heaven! (This is also the kind of work we are doing at the Canadian Labour Congress.) This is soul food, let alone brain food! Ok, back to my required reading for a spell....