People’s shoes

I have a friend, now retired, who was an English linguist before becoming a speech therapist. She shares that she can’t imagine how frustrating it is to be trying to speak but often not understood.

She puts herself in her patients’ shoes and she dreads being in those shoes. People in roles of service and ministry, medical or not, professionals or volunteers, often feel this way. My friend is no exception. So let’s call her Jane Doe.

So as an expert in linguistics and communication Jane could have affirmed that speech is one way of communicating but never the only way. Jane could have placed in context that anyway in a well-balanced community or congregation we can only expect accents diverse enough to require extra efforts to comprehend each other. Extra efforts such as these are very much an integral part of scientific conferences, for example, without which advances in science can’t go far.

Indeed when I spent a summer in Laos teaching full-time I assured the organizers that we—the class—were going to manage without an interpreter, whose time could be better devoted elsewhere. That worked. Students learned effectively even though we did not share any common language. Each time at least one of the students would get it and would become our teacher of the occasion. Each time, without fail. Following overwhelming feedbacks in the wrap-up session the organizers decided to adopt that as a template for future programes. A full-time summer course completed without an interpreter.

Jane imagines herself in her patients’ shoes, but that is not the only way to engage. Neither is it usually the best. There is no need to be carried away by imaginations that have no contact with reality, “Can’t imagine being homeless and not being able to shower!” Or, “Can’t imagine being caught in a war like the Ukrainians!” Or, “Can’t imagine losing my home and entire town to fires, like what happened to Lytton, Eaton and Palisades!”

Don’t worry about people’s shoes. I only need to be open to the possibility: all that can happen to others can happen to me. If and when the time comes the community would come together like how communities usually do, and god would provide the grace as god always does. And there is always that part of us that can never be taken away, that will remain intact. I will be okay and we will all be okay. That’s why we keep getting reminded over and over, “Fear not! Do not be afraid!”