What does it mean when i suggest we need to Listen to Understand? Many of us are slow to listen but very quick to speak. This feels like a particular obstacle for white people who are used to having the mic and having our voices heard. Additionally, this feels like a problem for men who are used to having a dominant respected voice. So when you're a white man, like i am, you know [...]
Time for a bit of an update from the Homepocalypse... We are living in the middle of a worldwide pandemic, in case any of you forgot. And while i know that none of you who read my blog would ever be those people, it really seems like there are a lot of them. Main road Plumstead/Southfield on the way to pick up groceries or meds from the Pharmacy gives off this impression if life [...]
People seem to be jumping into race conversations more than ever. Which is great. With that comes a phrase that has the power to kickstart defensiveness for so many people: White Privilege "How dare you say I have white privilege? My family grew up poor!" "White Privilege? I had to work three jobs to get to where I am today!" "Maybe in the past that was a thing, but these days with BEE..." Are [...]
The Colourblind argument seems to be a confusing one for many people. White people, trying to do the right thing, often hold on to the statement: I don't see colour. While completely believing it. i would like to approach that from a different direction than i have before, which might make it easier for some of you to get. Many of my best friends are black, coloured and indian people. And no, that's not [...]
Just two weeks ago, an idea was born. i can't even remember where the inspiration came from actually but one day Character Stories for Children was not a thing and the next day it was. We have reached the end of our second week with 10 videos and two live stream Saturday morning shows under our belts. Character Stories has not been an overnight sensation. We haven't gone viral. And we don't have a [...]
i don't have children. But i know a lot of people who do. Many who i really really like! Which is one of the reasons i came up with the idea of Character Stories for Children #CSC i used to have a character called Erik [with a K] who would read poems and stories in a bad shouty german accent [my nieces in particular love my bad shouty german accent and so it definitely [...]
So how is your pandemic going? i thought it might be helpful for a bit of healthy perspective. Meet my friend Uel Maree [some of you may know him from this piece i ran a long while ago [which exploded on here - go and check it out!] Uel is consistently one of the most upbeat, hope-filled, compassionate people i know and every interaction with him somehow leaves me feeling better about myself and [...]
In light of yesterday's corona virus post which gave some helpful information and strategy in terms of dealing with covid-19, i thought it might be helpful to drop some ideas for those of us who are trying to take this thing seriously without giving in to the panic: [1] Visit a Museum or take part in an online cultural experience: There are various online virtual tours you can take of museums and other cultural spaces [...]
Dear Johan, That's not your real name. i'm pretty sure it isn't. Your comments don't strike me as the kind that would come from someone who uses their real name. And the email address is definitely not real. You logged into your computer and you clicked on a link that took you to my blog post and you scrolled down to the comments and with some amount of glee i imagine, you shared a [...]
Continuing the journey of #40TipsForParents with another five you might find helpful: 40 Tips for Parents: Tip #21 Give them Justice/Compassion/Generosity-flavoured experiences. We have spoken about being honest and dealing with difficult topics when it comes to things happening in the country or tricky questions they may be asking [Tips 4 and 14]. But i want to encourage you to do things with them that teach them about Justice and bridge-building and compassion and [...]
