Tuesday, September 17, 2019

The Heroism of Getting Along


Okay, I’ll put it right here. My heroes are the get-along people.


Outside of literary fiction, you won’t find them much in stories. But in real life, they are the ones who don’t scream and shout, (these days mostly online) or “unfriend” or cut off family as they imagine this is what taking a stand sounds like.


To me, such a stand, while some find it glamorous and most think heroic, often amounts to spite and vilification. A rather lazy thing.


Real heroes don’t forget that people are complex. They love real diversity, as in folks who don’t think or act as they do. They love them because variety is what the creator intended.
{And as an aside, maybe especially those who don't think there is a creator might admit they'd be bored stiff without the magnificent assortment that is our species.}


Real heroes don’t dream of kudos from the tribe. They’re okay with not having a tribe.


We’re about to re-enter that fractious zone called national elections, and what incivility we’ve fostered is about to get wilder. I hope I can remind myself of the above, and try to be that kind of hero.


But I may have to take some breaks from the online world. I won’t leave it; that’s not heroic IMO. Just take breaks now and then to remember my values so I can recharge and come back to living with, and listening to, differences.


I re-quote my grandma’s Yiddish saying: If everyone pulled in the same direction, the world would tip over.

She was not the most tolerant person. But she did leave me this gem. Just sayin’.




8 comments:

Vijaya said...

Mirka, I actually don't think tolerance is a virtue. We should never tolerate evil. That we have to requires patience, which is a virtue.

The subtle rise of the political leaves me disenchanted with the interwebs. I'll stick to blogs like yours :)

Evelyn said...

I like your grandma's saying. And I like what you wrote--"Real heroes don’t forget that people are complex. They love real diversity, as in folks who don’t think or act as they do." May we all become more heroic.

Mirka Breen said...

You are one such hero!

Mirka Breen said...

Glad to be on your list :)

Lorraine said...

I am very tolerant in that I have to get along with people I work with whose beliefs are vastly different than my own. I've learned to stay quiet which pains me, but I'm in a foreign land after all. (Yankee living in the south). When they play country music, however, I put earplugs in. There's only so much I can take. lol I do though admire the worker who gets along with everyone and is loved no matter what. That's the kind of person I want to be but I just don't have the personality. lol

Mirka Breen said...

What I find about get-along heroes is that they are good listeners. But I admit that some kinds of music (for me it would be heavy metal) challenges my inner listener ;P

Sherry Ellis said...

I like your grandmother's saying! I think it's okay to have different views and to not agree on things, but we should all at least be respectful to each other.

Mirka Breen said...

I have a voice inside me that reminds me I don't know everything. Listening is a good thing :)