'I read a news story today on Donald Gould and his beautiful gift of music.
Other than the beautiful music, what struck me was the wording of this article,
in particular the headline:
Homeless Man Donald Gould Amazes locals with beautiful piano performance!
Oh how we love to categorize!
I get it. Headlines are meant to grab, they're meant to pique your interest, and pique it did.
But leaving behind the context of media, isn't this exactly what we do in 'everyday' life?
'She's a single mom ...'
'He's a drug addict ...'
'They're alcoholics ...'
'He's been in jail ...'
'She's an adulteress ...'
'He's got cancer ...'
'She's bulimic ...'
We define by scandal.
We define by difficulty.
We take the lowest point of a person's life and if not indefinitely, at least for a time, we define them by this life stage.
I don't think for a even a second that there's any malice behind this kind of labeling for the majority of us who have caught ourselves (myself included) doing this.
I think it's just how we relate, how we memorize.
We search our memory cache and we fit people comfortably into their allotted space.
There's a few problems with this though, the glaringly obvious one being that people change!
We all have a story. We all have a complex series of events, chosen or otherwise, that have led us the place we find ourselves in today. But unless you drop dead right upon this sentence, and it is my sincere hope and prayer that you do not, your story is incomplete. There is much still unwritten!
A pregnant woman does not forever remain pregnant, nor is she described as such. She hopefully goes on to birth more of her story, to add to it, to introduce a new character, a character who will evolve, entwine, enrich, expand and add complexity to the initial story, a story that was never really initial, but instead merely the flow-on from another's story, and theirs before it, and so on.
This is how we must view our fellow journey persons; as incomplete stories, great and intricate works in progress.
After all, isn't this how we would have others view us?
I am greater than my lowest lows.
I am more than the collective sum of my mistakes.
I am more than my highest highs.
It takes divine grace to see ourselves for what we can and will be. It takes that same grace to see others the same way.
So here's my rewrite of the before referenced headline:
"Donald Gould amazes community with his musical gift, proves there's always more than meets the eye!"
What headlines will you rewrite today?'
From an article by Bek Curtis 'an Australian-based blogger'.
Today On Soul 2 Soul We See What Happens When We Stop Putting People In Boxes!
Helping us to climb out of our boxes, today we also hear from Louine, Nicola, Carmen, Linda & PS.
And we hear music from Tash Sultana, John Farnham, The Church & The New Radicals.
So Come And Join Us As We Enter The Realms Of The Soul!
Join Us (Today) Monday At 12 Noon (Melbourne Australian Time)...
Streaming Worldwide From http://rppfm.com.au/stream
Replayed Sunday At 9pm...
Videos From Today's Show Will Be Available From,
The Soul 2 Soul Facebook Page,
https://www.facebook.com/Soul2Soulrppfm/
& The Soul 2 Soul You Tube Channel!
https://www.youtube.com/user/Soul2SoulOnAir
Hear Soul 2 Soul Podcasts Here,
http://www.soul2soulonline.com/podcasts
www.soul2soulonline.com
Other than the beautiful music, what struck me was the wording of this article,
in particular the headline:
Homeless Man Donald Gould Amazes locals with beautiful piano performance!
Oh how we love to categorize!
I get it. Headlines are meant to grab, they're meant to pique your interest, and pique it did.
But leaving behind the context of media, isn't this exactly what we do in 'everyday' life?
'She's a single mom ...'
'He's a drug addict ...'
'They're alcoholics ...'
'He's been in jail ...'
'She's an adulteress ...'
'He's got cancer ...'
'She's bulimic ...'
We define by scandal.
We define by difficulty.
We take the lowest point of a person's life and if not indefinitely, at least for a time, we define them by this life stage.
I don't think for a even a second that there's any malice behind this kind of labeling for the majority of us who have caught ourselves (myself included) doing this.
I think it's just how we relate, how we memorize.
We search our memory cache and we fit people comfortably into their allotted space.
There's a few problems with this though, the glaringly obvious one being that people change!
We all have a story. We all have a complex series of events, chosen or otherwise, that have led us the place we find ourselves in today. But unless you drop dead right upon this sentence, and it is my sincere hope and prayer that you do not, your story is incomplete. There is much still unwritten!
A pregnant woman does not forever remain pregnant, nor is she described as such. She hopefully goes on to birth more of her story, to add to it, to introduce a new character, a character who will evolve, entwine, enrich, expand and add complexity to the initial story, a story that was never really initial, but instead merely the flow-on from another's story, and theirs before it, and so on.
This is how we must view our fellow journey persons; as incomplete stories, great and intricate works in progress.
After all, isn't this how we would have others view us?
I am greater than my lowest lows.
I am more than the collective sum of my mistakes.
I am more than my highest highs.
It takes divine grace to see ourselves for what we can and will be. It takes that same grace to see others the same way.
So here's my rewrite of the before referenced headline:
"Donald Gould amazes community with his musical gift, proves there's always more than meets the eye!"
What headlines will you rewrite today?'
From an article by Bek Curtis 'an Australian-based blogger'.
Today On Soul 2 Soul We See What Happens When We Stop Putting People In Boxes!
Helping us to climb out of our boxes, today we also hear from Louine, Nicola, Carmen, Linda & PS.
And we hear music from Tash Sultana, John Farnham, The Church & The New Radicals.
So Come And Join Us As We Enter The Realms Of The Soul!
Join Us (Today) Monday At 12 Noon (Melbourne Australian Time)...
Streaming Worldwide From http://rppfm.com.au/stream
Replayed Sunday At 9pm...
Videos From Today's Show Will Be Available From,
The Soul 2 Soul Facebook Page,
https://www.facebook.com/Soul2Soulrppfm/
& The Soul 2 Soul You Tube Channel!
https://www.youtube.com/user/Soul2SoulOnAir
Hear Soul 2 Soul Podcasts Here,
http://www.soul2soulonline.com/podcasts
www.soul2soulonline.com
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