Dignity of Risk13/4/2020 As the weeks pass in these days of uncertainty and social distancing, I have taken the opportunity to reflect upon the things that matter to me and the things that I think are important for a progressive inclusive society. There will always be vulnerable people in our midst, but the question for us to respond to is “what effort do we make to create an inclusive society”? The poem that I have included in this blog does not require and commentary. But I urge you to take the time to contemplate the challenging message! We all have the right to want something purposeful and meaningful to do, to love and be loved and to have hope for our future! Dignity of Risk
What if you never got to make a mistake, What if your money was always kept in an envelope where you couldn’t get it? What if you were never given a chance to do well at something. What if your only chance to be with people different to you, was with your family. What if the job you did was not useful? What if you never got to make a decision. What if the only risky thing you could do was act out. What if you took the wrong bus once and now you can’t take another one? What if you got into trouble and were sent away and you couldn’t come back because they always remember your “trouble”. What if you worked and got paid $2/per hour? What if you had to wear your thick winter coat in summer when it rained because it was all you had. What if you had no privacy. What if you could do part of the grocery shopping but weren’t allowed because you couldn’t do all of it. What if you spent three hours every day just waiting? What if you grew old and never knew adulthood? What if you never got a chance. (Adapted from Stengle, Laying Community Foundations. 1996). A good life is about opportunity! Comments are closed.
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