Struggling Through Speaking Of Sensitive Subjects

It seemed evident to me that Jack, my Possible Society In Motion Radio Show co-host, was going to immediately be as completely enthusiastic as I am about New Horizons Coffee House Conversations On Race Relations project.

So when it was time for our regular pre-program planning meetings this week, preceding last night’s radio show, Community Conversations And The Yearning For Something Better, I assumed he was going to share my optimistic perspectives. We would, I thought, readily join together harmoniously, as we often do, on taking the topic to the next level; the next level, of course, based on “the truth” according to Anastasia.

If Jack and I had been of an ilk inclined to justifiable righteousness we would have been stuck right then and there!

No synergistically working together program would have come out of where we started, with less than twenty-fours to go until show time!

Whew! Thank goodness Jack and I are not inclined in this direction.

As it turned out I had already had one opportunity last week for a total breakdown in congenial solidarity. I had been attempting to support a friend who held this position; self-righteousness combined with an overdose of anger to make it even more excruciating. It wasn’t much fun!

But Jack and I have, over the nearly two years we have been doing our radio show together, become more and more willing and adept to “lean in” to the other’s perspective. We don’t necessarily end up in agreement with one another. But we are definitely civil and respectful.

Who could ask for anything more?

The fact that we do this so agilely, while still honoring our own positions, is real testimony, I believe, to how our personal actions on the show model the very things we’ve been discussing; overcoming polarization and my “Lean In Legacy Template.” And, the critical need for each and every one of us to both explore and take responsibility for transcending the Dark Sides of our very human natures and moving into the Light.

Still what Jack and I had as a challenge as we began last night’s show was not instantly surmounted. I was totally on the side of optimism about the prospects for our developing Coffee House Conversations On Race Relations. Jack, on the other hand, was definitely skeptical.

My perspective that a nationwide movement is growing of more and more people wanting to find ways to solve serious community problems by talking our way through them rather than more volatile, less cooperative actions, even violence in some cases, such as riots and protests or even the noise of the talking heads – was definitely not one that rested easily with Jack.

Since you, no doubt, missed us when we struggled through our differences on the live broadcast, listen in to our podcast on the topic of  --

Community Conversations And The Yearning For Something Better

Find out how Jack and I came through to our conflict of viewpoints.

Then mark your calendars for our next program. We will return in 2 weeks.

The Possible Society In Motion Radio Show

Thursday, March 12, 2015

6:30 p.m.

Topic: "Talking About Talking"

Listen in to our lively on-air broadcast by dialing 347.237.5351

or clicking on the above link.

We will develop "Community Conversations And The Yearning For Something Better"

further. 

You can join us with your viewpoints too!

Our usual on-air broadcast portion of the show is followed by a conference call forum discussion.  Guests are welcome to join in at: 712.432.0600, access code 640883 (also recorded).

Talk To Anastasia And Jack about “talking.”

If you miss the original conference call discussion, please contact New Horizons, the show's sponsoring organization, at: zonesofpeacenh@aol.com for access code for the conference call recording.