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It’s Lent – a time I usually ‘give something up’ or, in more recent years, do something positive for the world.
This year, for me, it’s a conundrum.
We’ve all given up so much already because of the virus, and it’s so difficult to do something positive for others with most of the world in lockdown.
I still want to mark the Lenten season in some way and want a positive way to do it.
So what’s the answer?
Lately, on a Saturday night, I’ve been thinking about diversity and dancing.
During lockdown, the Jeyaratnam-Joyners seem to have become super-fans of Strictly Come Dancing. Maybe it’s me missing wearing a suit and shiny shoes or my wife, Caroline, who’s missing dancing and live music, but we’ve become a little bit obsessed. Personally, I’m Team HRVY.
One thing we’ve found interesting, in amongst all the sequins, scoring and shimmying, is the online reaction to the various personalities on the show.
Last weekend Caroline showed me a tweet that said that the judge Motsi Mabuse was too loud. Of course, Motsi isn’t any louder than anyone else on the show (there’s a LOT of shouting, whooping and general clamour under the glitterball). Many of you will know that “too loud” is often a coded way of saying “too black.” People who experience prejudice often find that behaviours acceptable in others are turned against them as a form of aggression. You can read an interesting piece about that here.
Hypothetically – what if she was louder than everyone else?
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In recent months when I ask my coaching clients how they’re doing with working from home, they describe some highlights — I guess I sleep a bit more — and lowlights – we’re struggling for space and getting cabin fever — of the experience.
But lonely is the overtone. So how do we meet that challenge?