Burmese Innocence
In 2010, I had the opportunity to work and live on the Thai-Burma border in the town of Mae Sot. The area is filled with Burmese refugees fleeing persecution and violence in their home country. And, the area is also filled with incredible organizations and local staff working every day for their families, their communities, and their country.
While I was there, I ran a two-week course at a teacher training college just across the river in Myanmar. After a four-hour drive, they smuggled me an hour upstream in a boat to the school – this was before the border was open to foreigners.
One evening I was sitting on the porch of a bamboo hut watching this little boy who carried this puppy and his guitar around with him everywhere. The boy was the Headmaster’s son. I sat and watched the boy and his puppy stare at each other. It was a moment I’ll never forget.
I consider this part of my ongoing exploration of connecting humanity through lines.
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Listening Through Lines
Lines.
Lines make up letters, words and thus stories.
Lines create stunning visual artistry, expressions and unspoken exchanges that can be universal and supersede language barriers.
Through these expressions, lines reveal histories on our faces, in our “worry” lines and our “smile” lines.
The lines of the horizon lead to a future and goals desired, or realized.
Lines come in all varieties of shapes, colors, sizes.
Open lines of communication lead to talking, and thus listening.
But, lines are also drawn in the sand.
Lines make up boundaries and borders.
And, lines create boxes or labels in which we put one other.
Where do your lines lead you? What kinds of lines tell your story?
If someone were listening, what would you want your lines to tell that person?
Can your lines evoke emotions, break down judgments and allow for empathy and human kindness?
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Copyright emBOLDen Alliances 2016.