CFC Blog #159: Moving Boulders

I’ve recently spent some time in India exploring what change looks like for the nonprofit sector. Before going, I spent some time thinking about what beliefs I held about India as a country, the definition of community and if it is universal, and other things. I tried to loosen my grip on those beliefs and have my assumptions challenged…and they most certainly were. I think my trip would have looked really different if I didn’t intentionally loosen that grip beforehand. As Tim writes, we really can’t afford to have strong-held beliefs when it comes to other people – these separate us from one another and prevent connection. To put aside assumptions to see someone as fully human.

Originally from the Starfire Blog: https://www.starfirecincy.org/cincibility/moving-boulders

- Lauren

Moving Boulders 

A little while ago, Larry Bissonette came to Cincinnati for a visit. Larry was the subject of a film “Wretches and Jabberers,” following some of his global travels. He is both autistic and use typing as a way of expressing his thoughts. In the first few scenes of the movie, he flaps his hands and paces around rooms and repeat phrases that seemed typically “autistic” to me. But soon though, be began typing, sharing profound, insightful and relevant thoughts.

At Starfire, Larry and his facilitator, Pascal, told the story of how Larry studied and practiced a sort of mindful, meditative focus that allows him to move his fingers enough to type out his thoughts.

Larry is also a talented painter, so one of the first questions asked was if he prefers to communicate with typing or through painting. Pascal touched Larry’s shoulder, and his body seemed to settle in. He began typing:

“Painting is like flowing water, typing is like moving boulders.”

Larry went from being someone who I previously would have completely dismissed, discounted and disrespected to somebody that I think of as a black-belt-ninja-Jedi-master-badass-boulder-buster who has honed and disciplined his body and mind in a way that is deeply admirable to me.

I more recently sat down with an impressive young man who I have come to admire deeply. Like Larry, he communicates by typing. Somewhere in one of our conversations, we talked about faith and I asked him if he practiced any particular religion.

 He then typed:

“I have noticed a connection between people who easily believe in God, but have a very hard time to believe in me. LOL. ”

I was struck by how profound that insight was, and also how heartbreaking it must be for him, and what a tragic loss it would be if we can’t find a way to create the space for this brilliant young voice to be heard.

I started to question why I needed to have a certainty that someone was intelligent and fully present in order to treat them with dignity. And this has profoundly shaped my belief that a better, more respectful and hopeful way forward was to assume that everyone has the same degree of awareness, however they showed up.