Sharing story: making visible the invisible

I don’t have to agree with you; I don’t even have to like you. But my life is richer, deeper and more meaningful when you and I can speak and listen to one another. I can begin to trust we are there for each other in fundamental ways, connected and in good relationship. And it’s worth my effort to open the door and learn what’s important to you, share what matters to each of us. I’m convinced, for the health and well-being of our interconnected lives on this Island, we would do well to make sure we know how to talk and listen to each other, to people who have different values, backgrounds, perspectives, opinions, outlooks.

I’m interested in what connects us in this community. I’m committed to cultivating respect for differences. I’m intrigued by the variety of people who call Vashon home – who they are and what matters to them. I’m invested in our capacity to speak and listen to one another.

I think these inclinations are important, maybe critical, to navigating the community challenges that are before us now and the stresses of change which are coming.

I hear a lot about community on Vashon. I, like many, am well-grounded in my own small circles – places where I’m comfortable, spaces inhabited by like-minded people. Like many others, I feel enormous desire and responsibility to show up, to give back. And, I, like many, feel protective about my time and energy. I have cultivated a careful and discerning vigilance about my choices.

Our consumer culture offers a million ways to distract, entertain, engulf me. Besides that, every week, there are a myriad of wonderful events offered by my friends and neighbors here on the Island. Every month, there are also appeals and opportunities to engage in civic activities that promote the well-being of our Island.

Yet, even as I fear overwhelm and distance myself from too much involvement, there’s a yearning in me for the larger context of community – the connections that go beyond my family and friends, a desire for relationships that bridge generations, transcend religious spiritual affiliations and extend beyond gender identities.

There’s a curiosity in me about the Other….and there’s the lingering suspicion that meeting the Other is essential to my experience of being fully human. There’s even an impulse to embrace the Other – the internal drive to become Whole.

From a life spent in small town communities, I know that it’s all of us, woven together like the pieces in a crazy quilt, which make community on Vashon. It’s all the weird, eccentric, normal, crazy, everyday folks who are connected by the fact of living here on this Island.

Loss of soul, elder wisdom tells us, occurs when we stop dancing, singing, being enchanted by stories and finding comfort in silence. When we share our stories, we bring to light what’s important to us. We take time to become present to our selves and each other. We create an atmosphere of curiosity and respect that encourages us to take risks, becoming willing to be open and honest. We practice speaking and listening in a more careful way about more important subjects. Shared connections, a sense of community and our desire for compassionate interaction become visible - to our selves and each other.

What is the story of your involvement in our community?

How is your experience of community going now?

I’m part of All Island Forum. In April, we are renewing our focus on the listening we need to do with each other. First we’ll gather one evening at our new community Library and then continue with monthly round table gatherings. We’ll invite personal stories that reveal our values and perspectives on community-related topics that matter to us. We’ll speak and listen.

If we practice well, we’ll learn how to hold the threads of compassion, connection and community in the tough moments of Island-wide decision-making. We are in some of those moments now, and we’ll face many more in the years ahead.