Ready to embrace difference?

Originally published 5 September 2012

A theme in my work over the last few years has been around diversity of thought. How it is bringing together different perspectives that creates space for better thinking. Because no one will ever see the world as I see it, I will never see the world as someone else sees it – and by exploring and sharing our different perspectives we can create understanding and insight bigger than any individual can do on their own. (Thanks to Olivia Gadd who has a wonderful way with words and ideas who gave me the words to express this). It’s why I’ve shied away from diversity agendas that focus on categorising people by gender,race, sexuality. Because surely if we want to encourage and embrace difference it is by creating space to understand and appreciate others different to ourselves that truly diverse thinking comes?

So then along comes the Paralympics, and an opening ceremony that was profound and challenging. If you haven’t had a chance to watch it then take a look:

For this ceremony sought to explore enlightenment, inclusion, creativity, the boundaries of human endeavour. It set out important themes – about there being no such thing as a standard human being, to focus on what we can do as opposed to what we can’t.

And in doing so it has challenged me at a whole new level. Because the themes and messages have me tweeting wildy, excited at such a beautiful expression of things I believe in. And yet it also asks questions of me. What assumptions do I really make about what others can/can’t do? What almost subconscious reactions do I have to those who are different to me?

It’s set me on a journey of awareness – to tune into that inner voice that judges, assesses; the ‘left brain’ busy categorising, filing, organising. To catch it jumping to assumptions and to create a pause. And in that pause it’s a bit scary noticing how quickly I’m judging all the time.

I see a swimmer without arms about to compete in a backstroke event and my mind jumps to ‘how?’. I notice that voice as I see just how – by the most amazingly powerful legs and torso cutting through the water. I break and expand the model of what a backstroke swimmer looks like.

I hear a Paralympic athlete decrying the ‘isn’t it so inspiring’ voice by saying ‘I didn’t train this hard just to inspire some 50yr old polio victim, I did it to win a gold medal’. I watch ‘The Last Leg’ on Channel 4 and recoil to people joking about disability; it doesn’t fit with the politically correct approach to package away and not mention disability, never mind joke about it. Then I notice the ‘lads’ joking have disabilities – ‘I have hand issues’ laughs one guy without hands. Funny, irreverent people.

And I see something wonderful emerge. Instead of hiding away difference it is celebrated, enjoyed, out there. It is what it is. It shouts ‘look at me, this is who I am’. Or in the words of the wonderful closing song ‘I am somebody, I am who I am’. And I now know this is what it feels like when we really embrace difference.

As I step forward my inspiration comes from Stephen Hawking ‘Look to the stars not to your feet. Be curious’. For I know I don’t want anything to limit my view of who people can be, to limit what I can learn from others who see things I can’t. It’s uncomfortable to realise just how far I have to go. And yet what a world it opens up……