By Greg Kozera, Shale Crescent USA
This week Lynnda and I attended an economic development, climate and energy conference held in Oil City and Titusville, PA the birthplace of the commercial oil industry. For decades the world oil price was set at the building where we ate lunch on Monday in Oil City. I was the closing keynote speaker on Monday sharing the benefits of the Shale Crescent USA region. Usually, I use only my own stories when speaking. I opened with this story because it was so appropriate. You may find it helpful. It’s a true story in the book Acres of Diamonds by Russell H. Conwell.
Back in the 17th century there lived not far from the River Indus a Persian by the name of Ali Hafed. Ali owned a very large farm with orchards, grain fields and gardens. He was contented and wealthy. One day a visitor told him about diamonds. With a handful of diamonds, he could purchase a country. With a diamond mine he could place his children upon thrones through the influence of great wealth.
When Ali Hafed heard about diamonds and how much they were worth, he became discontented. He felt poor compared to diamonds and wanted to be rich. Ali sold his farm, left his family with a neighbor and went off in search of diamonds. After several years, failing to find diamonds, he was broke and in rags. In despair he cast himself into the sea off the coast of Spain and died.
Meanwhile back at the farm, the new owner was out in the field with his animals and noticed a flash of light from a rock in the stream. He took the curious black stone back home and put it on his fireplace mantle. Some days later a visitor came to the farm, saw the stone and in shocked amazement stammered, “Where did you find that diamond?” The farmer responded. “That’s no diamond. There are other stones like it in my stream.” Ali, the first farmer, owned free and clear what turned out to be the diamond mine of Golconda. The Hope Diamond and other diamonds for the crown heads of Europe came from that mine and Ali sold it to look for diamonds elsewhere.
People in the Titusville and Oil City area want to see economic growth and good jobs return to their community so their children won’t have to leave the area. My message was, they are located on the equivalent of a “diamond mine”. Titusville and Oil City are located on top of the Marcellus Shale one of largest natural gas fields in the world with abundant and economical energy.They have the Allegheny River for water. The Allegheny Valley has rail service. They have an experienced industrial workforce. They are located in the center of one of the largest economies in the world, not far from Pittsburgh, New York City, Cleveland, Columbus, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington, DC. This is similar to many communities in our region. They did what Ali Hafed, the first farmer failed to do. They chose to investigate what they already had.
This story can apply to all of us. We may look at other peoples’ success, wealth, appearance, talents etc. and wish to be them or have what they have. The grass may look greener in another’s back yard, while other people are looking at the grass in our back yard. We may look at the financial or corporate success of another without knowing what they gave up to get there. They may have given up a marriage, family or other relationship. As a young manager, an old manager told me he never saw his cheerleader daughter cheer in high school because he was working. Now it was too late. Another friend became a corporate VP. He rarely took a vacation with his family. His marriage ended in divorce. Now retired he is making up for lost time with his grandchildren. I have never heard of anyone on their deathbed wish they had spent more time at the office.
We all have talents and blessings. Before looking at others and wishing we were like them, we need to find our own talents and be thankful for the blessings we already have. It might be nice to have a beach house in Florida instead of living on a mountain top in West Virginia until a hurricane blows through and the storm surge washes the house away. There are pros and cons to everything. We need to look at the big picture of what is really important in life and choose accordingly.
I have heard people, even lawmakers in Ohio and West Virginia talk about their problems and look at what Pennsylvania has done. On Monday and Tuesday, I didn’t hear anything bad about Ohio and West Virginia. I did hear, “Pennsylvania needs to be more like Ohio and West Virginia.” One business owner from Pennsylvania told me how great the business climate was in West Virginia. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Maybe the grass does look greener on the other side of the fence.
At lunch Monday, we learned a little about what voters in Pennsylvania think is important. The Commonwealth Foundation, an independent organization, released their Q3 2024 Common Ground in the Commonwealth Poll Results. Their polling is on issues NOT specific candidates.
- Top National Problems: Inflation, cost of living, immigration & border security, the U.S. economy.
- Over 2/3 of every demographic support spending more for natural gas infrastructure to reduce their energy cost.
- Over 2/3 of voters polled including more than 50% of democrats agree affordable energy is more important than climate change.
- 86% of voters believe the USA needs to be energy independent.
- 57% of voters are unwilling to spend as much as $100 to fight climate change.
- A staggering 78% of Pennsylvania voters say energy affordability is an important consideration when choosing a candidate.
We all have our own acres of diamonds. Look for them.
