Catherine Masterman with an observation and a poem about how change is made.
Whilst we like to think that we are free agents, most of our decisions are highly influenced by different pressures – whether our own expectations, social convention, institutional survival or economic incentives. Many of these pressures can be neither good nor bad in themselves, but can have a significant cumulative impact which might be positive or negative.
Campaigning organisations trying to address these impacts do best when they can identify the particular decisions where pressures are forcing outcomes in a particular direction. That’s where they then focus their advocacy – not asking for generic statements about the importance of the issue, but specific changes that affect the factors influencing that particular decision.
But working out where to focus is only one aspect. Pressures are strong, and withstanding them will come at a cost – whether paying more to give a particular market signal, or using up political bandwidth to push for change. Its easy to see how where there isn’t courage and strength, all the different factors at play lead to a vicious rather than a virtuous circle where no one makes the first move.
That’s why those who demonstrate that courageous wisdom should be celebrated – those who lead organisations in a particular direction in accordance with values rather than narrow institutional or personal self-interest – those who look beyond the short-term to see the role that they or their organisation can play in making a positive difference.
And there are also those who cry ‘enough’ – as Rosa Parks did. Those who take an instinctive action that flies in the face of all the pressures. This was written for one such friend as a tribute to their courage, an acknowledgement of the high cost they are paying and as an encouragement that it is impossible to know or calculate the positive impact that it could have downstream.
THE BOULDER IN THE STREAM
It courses from the craggy mountain height
Relentlessly in quest of valley floor.
Sweeps all surrounding, swirling, in its might
Through route long-hewn by all that’s flowed before.
To alter water’s course takes strength and care;
A studious note of how the stream descends.
For naught but stone can withstand pressures there.
With strength derived from rocks of ages hence.
Such pressures shape our lives, like hidden hand
And heed not what they bring in aftermath
We need the resolute who take a stand,
And say ‘not here, now take another path’
So place a stone to start the change you dream.
Our world is shaped by boulders in the stream.
- First published on the Grain of Sand blog.
- Feature image by Jamie Street/Unsplash
Joy in Enough 