By Donna Morrissey
There was once a story written about a boy named David, who was a gentle, loving boy; but who, as he grew older, was repeatedly hurt by an abusive, emotionally negligent father; a depressed, though loving, mother; and an impoverished environment. During his teenage years, a whole host of mitigating circumstances, both personal and social, began pressing him on him and he started expressing his frustrations and anger onto others. Picked up and let go by the police a number of times, he was finally charged and convicted of assault and sentenced to six months in prison. End of story.
It was this story that I gave to twelve, first time offenders, who like David, was guilty of many accounts of assault, but were being charged for the first time. I was charged with developing a program that would divert from the law courts and a criminal record, and at the same time, "affect change" in those individuals.
Two hours a week for a period of six weeks, the program ended, yet eight of the twelve individuals were reluctant to leave. Why?
Firstly, they identified with David as they all came from the same impoverished, socio-economic backgrounds, suffered negligent parenting, were failing school - at least, those who still attended - and were caught in a number of personal conflicts amongst their peers. Yet, they were brutal in their condemnation of him as he verbally abused those individuals attempting to help him, became more and more aggressive, then landed in jail.
Why? Why were they disappointed and condemning of another who walked a path parallel to theirs? Why did they want him to succeed?
Because he was the hero of the story, is why, and hero's don't end up in the clink for being assholes. Later, during our discussion of the book, they pointed out where David went wrong, why he went wrong. They saw where he could've sought help, where he turned his back on help, where he was unable to recognize love when it came his way.
After a thorough discussion of David, I asked them to reflect on their personal stories, to note the mitigating circumstances leading up to their arrests, to see the opportunities they might've missed to help themselves in finding love, support, and alternate routes to violence. And it was this, the ability to stand back and see themselves as a 'character' in a drama, that they were the 'hero' in their own lives, that hooked them.
For the first time, they sought to develop an intimacy with themselves; to understand who they were, and why. To understand how they'd been victims of others; yet, and more importantly, how they had the ability to affect change in themselves, and the course of their own lives. To become their own hero.
The eight boys left the program with a plan to continue their group on their own means, extending a welcome to any other individuals caring to join. Whether they were successful in carrying out the group, or in affecting change in their lives and community around them is another story. The fact being, they were already successful in learning about self, and seeing how change could be affected - both within and outside of themselves. And the moral of this story is, as in the words of one of the worlds greatest spiritualists, scientist, psychologist, Carl Jung - one of the greatest contribution anyone give to society is to withdraw into his own home and work on himself; that it is through effecting change within our selves are we then able to effect change in society. And it is towards this great, solitary act of self learning that the written word becomes such a powerful tool.
More than the tail-end of a radio program we catch driving home from work, or a television show we catch glimpses of whilst flicking through the channels, a book moves with us. It is ours. We chose it, bought it, and now we open its covers and pour ourselves into it. We question, examine, challenge, change the concepts written on the pages before us. We bring forward our own thoughts, theories, or concepts. And that is the power of the written word; it engages us, involves us, demands that we pull on our own resources to create more meaning, to wrap our own emotions around the ideas, to resurrect our own images and visions. That then, is one manner in which change evolves; when the thoughts of another evokes thoughts of our own, and we then work to re-fit the two, making for a different thing, a more inclusive thing, a thing that is representative of ourselves as well as the visions of another. And when we feel this sort of ownership, there often grows a great desire to present our selves, to re-create - as with the old alchemist who worked by consulting the spirit within, and bringing it forward into matter to create the philosopher's stone; the source of all healing, and of all knowing. We re-create ourselves through learning. We are the philosopher's stone. We are spirit contained in matter. And it is from ourselves that the greatest potential for healing and affecting change occurs.
As long as the written and spoken word has existed it has been used as a tool for social change. Gathering to celebrate and promote word as a catalyst for change is something that we can and should do as members of our communities. We can share our thoughts, fears, hopes and dreams - and inspire one another to create the kind of change that helps to build better communities.
One of the most frequent statements I've heard as a writer is, 'I wish I could write my life's story. It'd make for a great book.'
Yeah, probably not. It takes a lifetime to examine one's own life. A lot of mundane things happen in a lifetime. It's when we take ten lives, squish them into one, write it into two hundred pages, making for a two day read, that makes a great book - not only in entertainment value, but in allowing us to sit back and reflect upon the story the author just told us; allowing us to relate to the parts that deeply touched us; to examine why, to observe how an external event in the life of an individual is raised to mythic proportions. As did the boys observed David, and then themselves, so do we learn to stand back and examine 'the full picture' of our own lives, to date, and take those bits and pieces of ourselves that got strewn about, and repossess them, raising them to myth and finding meaning and profundity within our private journey. Most certainly everyone has a story. And everyone a unique voice. And every story is singularly important. Yet, it is the combination of our stories as we all fit together that effects social change. No man is an island, one great writer once said. It is the combination of us all that shapes the land on which stand, the continent on which we live. And it is when we bring our learning to each other, and share our profundities, do we contribute to the greater good.
And let us not separate the written word from the writer. I remember once, reading a couple of books by a wonderful psychologist/writer, Robert Johnson, and thinking, 'Wow, what intriguing thoughts; what incredible ideas' and a friend of mine said, "Yes, he's great, isn't he? I met him several years ago. Wonderful man."
It stopped me. I hadn't once thought of 'the man' who had derived those thoughts, anymore than I thought of John Steinbeck whilst reading The Pearl. During those early teenage years, a 'book' was my greatest assumption. It was simply there, like the rock out back, or the finished products at a hardware store, with no real source or beginning. Even now it's a jolt for me to imagine Carl Jung or Saint Augustine as one who had to use the bathroom, or quench a thirst, or throw out a cup of tea because it had grown cold. Such a grounding thought in mankind to know that some of the greatest gifts given to earth came from men and women who grimaced over a taste of cold tea. How I would've loved sitting, listening to Carl Jung or Saint Auggie. But, greatness didn't end with those two geniuses. Greatness is all around us. Which is why I never miss an opportunity to listen to an author whose works I admire; to remind myself that an ocean of knowing runs through that individual standing, reading, before me, and that same ocean of knowing runs through me; that it is accessible, that those great teachers of change and affect are within my grasp and it is for me to be the repository into which their leaning flows, and to then bring it forward into the community around me.
On May 31st I will have the opportunity to join over 20 other writers from Atlantic Canada who are gathering with the public to celebrate word and its vital role in promoting social change. The Coady International Institute at St. Francis Xavier University is hosting WordFest in celebration of the university's 150 years of contribution to social change through innovative writing and thinking. This public event, which is being held from 1pm to 5pm at the StFX Crystal Cliffs historical site in Antigonish, will bring together writers from across the region and community leaders from around the world attending the Coady Institute's educational programs. I encourage anyone interested in celebrating the power of word to join us in this global community gathering. Some of the development professionals attending the Coady Institute from Botswana, Brazil, Fiji, Nepal and over 13 other countries will be reading international stories and poetry. Guest readers will be sharing their Mi'kmaq poetry, Acadian stories, Gaelic folklore and children's literature. There will also be special activities for children. To be sure, there will be something for everyone. Come and be inspired. Perhaps even start a wave of change in your own community.
For more information about WordFest please call 1.902.863. 1560 or visit www.stfx.ca/institutes/coady