Your article made me think of the time I taught a writing class at a Sr Citizens' Center. I knew I was going to show them how to write & organize their personal stories for their families, but I didn't really realize how much they would end up supporting each other. It actually turned into a friendship circle or therapy group. One man who was dying of cancer felt safe to share his fears. A woman who ran away with a priest was able to bare her soul. Yikes! No system created the extraordinary love I saw in those 6 weeks. ~js
'Compromise' isn't part of a system's vocabulary. Neither is the understanding of the emotional, physical, and psychological impact of system rules when someone steps 'outside the lines'. Thank heavens, in many cases, humans can intervene to provide a compromise that takes all of those things into consideration. I believe in the value of systems, to a point. But I also believe in the power of human consideration.
Thanks for this story - I'm sure many of your readers have encountered similar stories.
Thanks for the shoutout!
Your article made me think of the time I taught a writing class at a Sr Citizens' Center. I knew I was going to show them how to write & organize their personal stories for their families, but I didn't really realize how much they would end up supporting each other. It actually turned into a friendship circle or therapy group. One man who was dying of cancer felt safe to share his fears. A woman who ran away with a priest was able to bare her soul. Yikes! No system created the extraordinary love I saw in those 6 weeks. ~js
Lovely story Jan. Actually I did a presentation to a writing group I used to belong to this week and this wonderful story surfaced.
'Compromise' isn't part of a system's vocabulary. Neither is the understanding of the emotional, physical, and psychological impact of system rules when someone steps 'outside the lines'. Thank heavens, in many cases, humans can intervene to provide a compromise that takes all of those things into consideration. I believe in the value of systems, to a point. But I also believe in the power of human consideration.
Thanks for this story - I'm sure many of your readers have encountered similar stories.