We are all made
of many stories
but not all of them
are told.
Only some are public
and even some are sold.
What we believe
is often bought
and we are left,
but don't wonder.
We sit with that one story
and assume we know the other.
I wrote this almost immediately after watching a remarkable story told by Chimamanda Adichie. She beautifully explains that often we only know one story and that is dangerous. If we only know one story of our neighbor or that person from Mexico or that Nigerian we are making a dangerous mistake. We are all made of many stories and many are not told. It is our responsibility to seek out the story ourselves and lest not leave ourselves to assume, to judge, or to be told by someone else who is only aware of one story.
That's a powerful thought. That's where prejudice and stereotyping come in so easily. We can not be so easily defined. Thanks for the link. I will so enjoy listening to her.Great post by the way.
ReplyDeleteI often try to think what other story someone might have, especially when they do something I don't understand. You know there is one. And sometimes you just have to give them the grace to have that untold story.
ReplyDeleteI, too, was moved Adichie's wise words. Thank you for sharing your poem. It really tugged on my heartstrings.
ReplyDeleteFood for thought. It reminds me of a recent post about how someone viewed a man when they were a child and how their perspective shifted when they were older and understood more of this man's life, his stories. (Sorry, I forget who posted it!) As I age I become more and more aware of the untold stories that everyone has. Your line "We sit with that one story and assume we know the other" is powerful. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteIt's "funny" how we assume that others only have one story when we have many. I wonder why we do that?
ReplyDeleteI need to show the same grace I'm hoping to receive.
ReplyDeleteAwesome poem! Those last two lines are powerful!
ReplyDeleteThis reminds me of some thoughts I've had rolling around in my head, which is that I've got to know you so much better through the slice of life. Each slice you write I learn a little more about what kind of person you are. It's amazing that we work together and I knew very little about you until I started reading your posts.
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