Reflections, 21st August

Photo by Art Lasovsky on Unsplash

On My Mind

Stories

My normal habit in writing these reflections is to pull together different things that have captured my attention during the week, and see what connects them. This week though has been slightly different as a quotation I closed last week's post with has stayed with me, and acted as a companion as I've wandered through this week.

“Those who do not have power over the story that dominates their lives, power to retell it, to rethink it, deconstruct it, joke about it, and change it as times change, truly are powerless.

Salmand Rushdie in a 1991 speech at Columbia.

We are surrounded by stories, fired at us from every angle, via every form of media. Some have heft (mid-15c., "weight, heaviness, quality of weight,") lent by evidence, analysis, and serious conversation - subjects such as climate change, inequality, and other substantive issues that follow us over decades, demanding recognition. Others are vacuous , full of carefully crafted empty…