Sandra sat at the table with the same people she had sat with on many occasions previously. She knew the drill.
The chair would go through the minutes of the last meeting, two people would point out some discrepancies in what was recorded, a brief argument would take place resolved by a vote to accept the minutes which the majority would pass through and the two people would be the only ones who would vote against it.
They would then go through the agenda. It was cleverly arranged so that the more contentious issues were lower down the agenda and a lot of hot air would be stoked for the earlier issues. Thus it would take a very brave person to take on the contentious issues that arose in the latter part of the meeting – no one would be that brave. More often than not a proposal would be made about that issue, which would fit in with someone’s desired outcome and lo and behold the contentious issue would be dealt with and the next meeting would be scheduled and that would be that.
Sandra knew all of this as she sat in her usual place with others also taking their usual places. On this occasion, though, something was different about her. People were talking but she was not listening. Her focus was on something outside the window. No one would have seen what she saw outside the window, though.
She looked and saw a trip down the road, along the street and across the estate to a location of unused buildings. She saw the place being rebuilt, fresh and inviting. She saw office spaces utilised for promising entrepreneurs from deprived backgrounds. She saw a hub of creativity and opportunity for those who had never been given a chance before.
She even saw a community space where meetings would take place that wouldn’t be about manipulating plans for the benefit of the few. She saw gatherings that were not simply talk-shops, but activity centres where experience would be exchanged and answers would worked out together in the doing not just the talking.
She saw all of that as she sat at that table in that meeting. No one noticed her looking, but they noticed her absence from the next meeting. And the following meeting. When someone finally asked where Sandra had gone, they were informed that was she going to something that looked good.
When the enterprise flourished after a slow start, people put the success down to Sandra’s capacity to see what no one else saw.
(Photo by Todd Quackenbush on Unsplash)
For His Name’s Sake
Shalom
C. L. J. Dryden
Life With CD 