When I was a teenager I went through the usual phase where I was amazed at how little my mother knew. Mom was the typical stay at home mom of the 1960’s and I felt she was not in tune with the great social changes evolving. I recall pushing aside her advice one night and thinking,
“What does someone with only a Grade 7 education know?” She had no formal education, and with the arrogance of youth I dismissed her opinion. My own arrogance blinded me from the facts that like untold millions of young women in the depression my mother went directly to work in an office to help supplement the family income. It’s not a formal education that defines a person, it’s what they do with it and how they do it.
Recently I witnessed a similar experience where the opinions of marginalized people were dismissed by well meaning community activists.
In the “community advocate world” the term empowerment is thrown around frequently. Get the people involved in the decision making process of their neighbourhood is a phrase I hear daily.
The focus of the neighbourhood in question was the demolition of an aged school. The power brokers, developers and community advocates jumped into neighbourhood meetings to advocate the retention of the structure. It was a last minute intervention with power point presentations and well prepared speeches. However the neighbours had previously signed a petition stating their desire for green space, a park where their children could run and play. I was moved by the comments of a single mom who captured the moment by saying, “We live on this street, I got married on this street and my kids were born on this street. I may not be as smart as you cause I didn’t finish High School, but I do know that a park will give our kids a better place to play and have fun!” It was quite something to experience and it reinforced within me the need to truly not judge people by where they live, what they do or what formal education they have.
Again I thought back on the faith and values that were instilled in me. That God loves diversity and embraces everyone regardless of education or career and that as a measure of dignity everyone has a view or perspective worthy of respect. Simple things perhaps, but the needed foundations of a stable life in an increasingly complex world.
Since witnessing this challenging “empowerment scenario” I have made an extra effort to help out in similar neighbourhood meetings when asked. I share with colleagues the value of not placing their own expectations on others, but to accept and defer to people whose life experience enables them to understand circumstances better.
I am pleased to say that the location in question is now a soccer field and filled with children every day.
As I walked out of the community centre I looked back at what I had learned from a woman with a grade 7 education. A solid faith with a non judgemental disposition will make you and the world a happier place.
