A Very Challenging Job

The other day I was thinking about jobs that might pose extreme challenges.  One of those might be to run the Chamber of Commerce in Chernobyl after the nuclear incident.  I mean how do you attract visitors and tourists to the epicenter of the worst radiation incident in history?  How would that meeting go?  What would they come up with when brainstorming?

I was thinking that first of all they would all be in a room with a whiteboard and open the discussion to ideas.  Make it safe for all participants to offer any ideas no matter how crazy.  No right or wrong suggestions.  Maybe you suggest that this might be an opportunity to wear Haz Mat suits and carry Geiger counters and see what the relative levels of radiation would be.  You could all be in a group and all ride around on Segways to various locations in Chernobyl.  Check radiation levels. Take showers at the end of the tour.   This would be truly unique and present a cool adventure.  I am thinking that they might pay you to participate rather than the other way around.  Maybe you would glow depending on your level of radiation.  Again, you would be in protective gear so maybe just a sensor would glow.  What would be the goal or outcome?  To survive a visit to Chernobyl?  You might be able to visit ground zero in the area near Reactor #4 and return alive. Check out the pools of water in and around the reactor.  The Chamber could point out that no rodent could survive within 1000 feet of the reactor.   People are always looking for something different or unique.  The Chamber of Commerce would be turning a nuclear disaster into an attraction for visitors.

How about the Chamber of Commerce in San Francisco after the Earthquake or Chicago after the fire? Obviously, in time both of those cities have little or no problem attracting visitors from all over the place.  Initially, what would you need to do?  Have tours of the rubble?  Sell pieces of buildings or bricks from structures that didn’t survive either disaster.  Make postcards showing before and after each disaster.

How about towns devastated by natural disasters like tornadoes or floods?  Getting visitors to return would definitely be challenging.  Noting the likelihood of a repeat disaster.  Chances are that you wouldn’t experience the same kind of storms for some time to come making the place relatively safe for a period of time.  Selling debris from the disaster.  Selling books about the disaster and about the debris.  Sharing pictorials about before and after.  Demonstrate how high the water was during the flood.  Offer tours of the devastation.  Even in the worst of times the people responsible for regenerating interest in visiting the area must do their jobs.  You could have areas blocked off where looting took place and talk about all of the things that were taken.  Maybe have a replica of a tornado shelter to share how you could survive one of these horrible storms.  Create a lot of data surrounding the disaster, i.e. how many structures were destroyed, how many people were displaced, how high was the water, how hard did the wind blow, etc.  It is not so hard to realize that life goes on.  Even in the worst of times, there is always tomorrow and someone has to deal with the aftermath and make the best of it.

Think of tsunami’s, wild fires, hurricanes, 911, volcanic eruptions, train wrecks, and other tragic events.  All of those places are still there and must make the day after the first day of the rest of that area’s life. Humans are by nature resilient.  That always amazes me and gives me hope that individuals will meet the challenges head-on and get everything back on track.