Dear friend,
I'm so thankful you've given me space to share what is on my heart. Since a young age, elementary school, I've been advocating for fair and kind treatment of others. I actually got in trouble with the principal for pushing a kid down.
The kid, let's call him “Kevin”. Kevin was a bully. He picked on everyone. Every day we walked the 3 blocks home from elementary school. Part of that walk Kevin walked with us. Day after day he said mean things about so many different friends. But this particular day he picked on my friend, Josh. Josh had cancer. Josh was small and weak. He didn't have much hair. Josh didn't choose cancer, he didn't choose to be different. I asked Kevin to stop. He refused and challenged me. He asked me what I was going to do about it.
Well that day, I pushed him down onto the sidewalk. I continually pushed him as he tried to stand up. I eventually walked away and went home. I left Kevin laying there. I don't think I hurt him physically, maybe just his ego. Kevin went home and told his parents that I had pushed him.
The next day at school, I was called into the principals office and my mom was called. (This was the only bad call my mom ever got from the school about me being in trouble.) The principal told my mom that according to district policy a phone call home was necessary but that it was clear I was trying to do the right thing. This was in the early 90s, consequences today would likely look different.
Obviously pushing Kevin down wasn't very kind, but as an elementary student I used the tools I had to get the meanie to stop!
Today, I have better advice and tips on how to create an inclusive community. Tips that don't include pushing others down but building them up.
The Three things I'd do right now...
01. Embrace Differences
We all must be open minded enough to view things from a different perspective.
Celebrate what makes each person unique, disabilities and all.
when we Embrace differences we make our world happier.
02. Adjust your Focus
Shifting our focus from traditional methods to exploring alternative approaches opens up a myriad of new possibilities.
This can be from the steps to complete a work task, or how we order our food at a restaurant.
(The possibilities are endless.)
03. Build Relationships
Creating a strong community relies on fostering relationships. The more interconnected individuals are, the stronger the community becomes.
Inclusion is cool.