I find sandhill cranes striking. I love their graceful appearance & brightly colored head. I began to appreciate their lanky frames more when I found out that they can dance quite well especially when searching for a partner. Their grace reminds me of a ballerina or a fancy shawl dancer.
This joyful piece has been perfect to explore as I muddled through some heavy feelings about current events. This summer has been hard. I, like many folks, am struggling with all that’s going on in our country. Folks seem polarized. I know that people have been saying this for years now, it isn’t new, but I have new feelings about it. I am confused by the man made divides that keep popping up. I hear “us vs them” introduced to topics that could easily be discussed reasonably. I have heard folks say it is the medias fault & I just don’t buy that. That’s a cop-out. It is OUR fault. The divide is created by individuals and it is our responsibility to heal it.
Division is created not innate. Differing beliefs may appear to be divided but it is the individual who polarizes. “Us vs them” is a polarizing way of thinking that we have to let go of if we don’t want to be a part of the divisiveness.
A first step to overcoming polarization is not assuming there will be opposition on a given topic. Most folks take pride in being intelligent & kind. If we assume as much as we approach conversations we are more likely to find common ground. It won’t work every time but it will work way better than just putting up a wall of assumptions & opinions before the conversation has started.
Conversing is like a graceful dance, both individuals have to be ready to work together with respect. Effective dances/ growth/ change occur on common ground. Folks who don’t think the same as your group aren’t all stupid or bad people, instead they are all just people. Just like you. You & they are made of the same stuff sharing the same world. We are all in this dance together – it is good to practice grace.
