Neighborhood meetings for story telling

As a nation, we in India are going through difficult times. I have a sense that people are wounded by poverty, injustice, drought, violence, ethnic conflicts, insurgency, corruption, etc.  We are a hurting nation, as growth rate dips, economic stagnation sets in and political turbulence overtakes us. The gravity of all these make me feel that people are losing patience and the dominant mood is one of anger, frustration and resignation. 

During the second world war, something initiated a healing process happened in Britain. With most men having gone to join the army, women and children were left to fend for themselves in extreme social and economic constraints. Women got into the practice of meeting  in the neighborhood to listen, share and support each other during those difficult times. These meetings offered consolation and togetherness, which diffused the intense struggles the families experienced. 

I have come across similar stories from Guatemala,Chile, Mozambique, etc. where neighbor- hood meetings to share their stories with each other protected them from turning bitter, angry and rebellious. Some of those stories are most touching in terms of collective initiative to help each other, even when each person was living at subsistence level. 

I recall having informal meetings of neighbors at our home for a few years, which were occasions for us to discuss a book, listen to some personal stories, hear events and happenings as seen through different optics,etc. Five years later, two families mentioned that those meetings helped them to be less critical of their work related issues, appreciate the opportunities placed before them to make a difference and be reminded of the collective vision of the institution. 

A group of colleges students meet fairly regularly to sing together, share stories and go out to show some act of kindness to others, such as singing for patients staying in the hospital, or being with patients who are terminally ill, etc. At the end of several weeks, one of them mentioned to me that they feel near to each other emotionally. They discovered their common bond. 

Our circumstances have an impact on us and our behavior. However, that cannot overcome human resilience, if people feel connected and supported.

I find neighborhood parenting as another expression of this collective journey into living fully.    and corporately !

M.C.Mathew