Sometimes it feels like the world I live in (or want to live in) is far removed from the world I see reported in the news and this disconnect is quite discombobulating.
Last week I went with some friends and my youngest to an open mic event at a village hall. We were welcomed though outsiders. People were supportive of the acts ranging from 15 to 50+ and regardless of their level of experience. It was an evening based in relationships and positivity and of pulling together across generations.
This week I have also been involved in a stakeholder panel for a senior role in an NHS trust where much of the conversation focused on citizen voice and empowerment and the building of relationships rooted in strengths and a recognition that we need each other to succeed.
That doesn’t seem to fit with the shenanigans and malarkey on the news. Both of these experiences feel completely at odds to the broken and confrontational stories of protests and anger I see in the news. The racism displayed by protesters on the south coast or the apparent disintegration of community on Teesside or the violent actions of conference attendees who disagree with the views of others.
So my question is – whose reality is more real – the one shared through mainstream media or my actual experience of the world I inhabit? In this hall of mirrors how can I pay attention to those views and distortions of the world that are different to the way that I view the world. There is much that I won’t agree with and actively dislike and I need to find a way to challenge and call out those things which are counter to the world I want to live in. I think a search for understanding is the only way I can quieten that sense of discombobulation.
So I am certain that I need to hear the different perspectives and lean into the challenges that this might bring to the surface. But I am equally certain that my experiences of the world are not out of the ordinary and I wish that mainstream media could find a way to report on the world as it is experienced by those who are accepting and inclusive and seek strong relational communities not just those who seek division and hatred.
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