WoW - True Strength


I often think back of my year in Americorps with fondness.  Sometimes I need to remind myself of that, actually, when I feel behind in my professional career because I took that year 'off.'  One aspect of this year that I've been able to carry forward, however, is the leadership and development training we went through.  We learned how to classify ourselves (and therefore our daily construction volunteers) into 4 different learning categories - the end goal of which was to understand how to lead them most effectively in the task at hand.

Another training that seems fairly common, but was new to me at the time was the privilege walk.  Everyone in the group, and we were from fairly diverse backgrounds, would be required to take a step ahead if they received a certain privilege in their upbringing (i.e. their home contained at least a few dozen books; this is apparently proven to be indicative of a more stable home by some measurements); or, if you've had certain setbacks, you take a step back (i.e. if you've been told you can't do an activity because of your gender/ethnicity/etc.).  This was very enlightening to me, to realize the different, unique struggles every one of us faces.  And even if we don't understand another's struggle, we should at least acknowledge the strength it takes for them to compensate for or overcome it.

The last instance I'll share is another activity of acceptance; we all received stickers on our forehead and, without seeing our own, but seeing others, we needed to get into clumps.  It became clear how to group ourselves, as there were only two options - except for a single individual, with their own color sticker.  Now this was a story from another group, not my own: in a larger group partaking in this activity, it got towards the end of the organizational period, and the single person without a group was looking around and (in my mind) a little panicked.  During this, a woman in an already formed group pulled this individual in.  This is really powerful, as we create these groups and boundaries ourselves, and yet if someone doesn't fit in, it doesn't mean they don't need the community and sense of belonging as the rest of us - so we as their fellow man, all created in the image of God, need to invite them IN.  Sometimes we want to put the oness on others, like "Well they could have reached out to ME," but just was in this example, sometimes the other person doesn't have the means and equity to do such.  

I say all of this really as a backdrop of the facilitator - it was always the same guy, and at the time, his soft skills in this touchy-feely sort of career choice was a direct contradiction to most of the men I worked with, and frankly was used to - either these hard-lined white collar professionals that got lost in the shuffle of corporate America, or the blue-collar back-country men who were nice enough, but usually stuck to old expectations that women didn't belong in the construction field or in jobs of authority.  Our facilitator was intentional, was approachable, and good at what he did.  Honestly, I didn't respect him for this all that much at first, but on the contrary now, I see this nontraditional role for him (see my own internal contradictions being challenged?) actually exemplifies his own kind of strength.  It may not by physical, it may not be political and strategic (politics aren't only in the government, remember that!), but it was true, and it deeply impacts many individuals.

Since then, I have decided that I would really like my own children and everyone in new working environments to go through these types of training.  It helps you see co-workers and strangers through a new lens, giving the benefit of the doubt of why they may be different, and even finding the value and strengths of bringing these different perspectives to a team environment.  Isn't it amazing to see someone grow and thrive once you help foster a healthy and inviting environment for them?

That is also to say, do NOT be the one to shut an individual or type of person out of a group of which you are a part.  Your dad can do a better job explaining how it's easy to feel you have the upper hand when you're on the inside of a social group, but please see this as an opportunity to share God's grace and mercy with others by helping them.

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