“A room full of parrots is no good.”
That’s what my friend Wading Across said in our discussion here about trolls. Hadn’t heard it put that way before. Hadn’t heard the song Somebody That I Used to Know until recently either. The comment and the song stuck with me.
Admit it. We subscribe to news sources slanted toward our beliefs. We listen to commentators we like. We friend people on Facebook with the unspoken expectation they won’t offend us with their status updates.
We block or unfriend them if they do. We leave snippy comments or stop reading bloggers when they push it too far.
Creating a room full of parrots is a piece of cake. Imagine an island.
Welcome to Parrot Island! Your feathers are lovely. Your feathers are lovely. Your feathers are lovely! Margarita? Margarita? Don’t mind if I do. I do. I do!
Conflict is not my thing. I like to read and relate to folks who see things my way. The world’s all warm and fuzzy when people agree with me.
I don’t have to venture very far offshore before I’m troubled by the other side’s point of view. The surf. The waves. The water. Where’s the drop off? How far does it go down? Is there riptide? Who lives across the water?
Beyond the hype, beyond the labels working or stay-at-home, conservative or liberal, Christian or atheist, gay or straight, there’s a person. And possibly an opportunity.
Another writer with a razor sharp wit. We could spar over dinner. An old classmate who seems like a sibling now. We share years. A stranger who savors mint tea as much as I do. Pour me a cup. Or not.
I may never become best friends with the person on the other side, but we can still be polite. We can agree to disagree. We might even learn something.
Don’t get me wrong, dear readers. I treasure every sweet comment you keyboard as I’m certain do most bloggers.
People thrive on being in community with others who share common interests, goals, and beliefs. It’s unhealthy to remain in relationship with those who abuse you or trample your boundaries.
But I wonder if Wading Across was onto something when he said the folks benefiting the most are those who read all the positions. You know, the ones taking it all in. The ones listening.
And I wonder if their thoughtful comments of agreement or disagreement serve to promote understanding.
Novel concepts, listening and understanding. Might come in handy as we enter the heat of election season. Easier said than done of course. Because birds of a feather flock together.
Care to leave a comment? Don’t mind if I do. I do. I do!
Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone. Romans 12:18 NLT
Island music with Bob Marley and the Wailers: Stir It Up, little darling.
What do you think can be gained by sharing and listening to different opinions? What can be lost?
You are successfully doing what I aspire to! Treating everyone with respect and grace! Blessings!
Thank you, Jamie. Not sure everyone would agree with your assessment–my family may tell a different story when I insist they clean up their rooms lol. If you see grace, please know I don’t come by it naturally. I can only show what I have been shown. We love because He first loved us. In my weakness, Christ is strong.
Great post, Aimee! I think that you have created a respectful space where people can disagree without attacking or being attacked. It is a rare but welcome thing to find these days. Thank you!
I consider that high praise, Joan. You made my weekend! Thank you so much.
Just you know, you do have a few quiet finches reading your blog. When I disagree, I don’t say anything, but I do keep coming back for more.
I love quiet finches and appreciate their reading and friendship :) I know some readers hold their tongues; I can appreciate their restraint. Although I hope they feel they can safely share dissenting opinions here, too.
Great post Aimee and it is the kind of thing I have been thinking about as well. In fact, I really value the people who think differently than me sometimes more than the ones who give me kudos. Why? Because they press me to think. Sure I want the discussion to be respectfful, I don’t call people mean names and don’t want to be called them. That is an area I think we need to work on these days civil disagreement. Besides screaming at each other changes nothing, it just leaves us with a headache.
Yes, it does. Thank you for reading and commenting, Janice. You always add a great perspective to the discussion.
This week I’ve been thinking a lot about how to get along with people even though I disagree with them. It’s a lesson we learn in grade school, but seem to forget at times as adults. Or maybe it’s fallen out of fashion. If it’s true that our country is deeply divided over so many issues, the only way we will be able to work toward solutions is to listen to each other and respectfully debate the issues. It’s easier said than done. It helps me to remember there are precious human beings involved no matter how ugly the discourse gets.