We’ve asked Zachary (Pullin) DeWolf, Vice President of the Capitol Hill Community Council, to contribute to CHS about community civics and politics on a monthly basis. If you’re an expert and want to share with the community in a recurring CHS column, we’d like to hear from you.
Like so many in our neighborhood and across the country, I sat at home watching the live feed of St. Louis County Prosecutor Bob McCulloch deliver the reasoning behind the grand jury’s decision not to indict police officer Darren Wilson in the murder of unarmed teenager, Michael Brown.
The news compelled people to do something, to speak out, and to implore us all to listen. In these moments, we are challenged to truly understand that a more complex reality exists. We are challenged to listen rather than default to putting our own lens and experience before others.
The Capitol Hill Community Council Winter Open House is Thursday starting at 6:30 PM in the Cal Anderson Shelterhouse — CHS wrote here about the party and chance to talk with city officials about Capitol Hill issues
When we allow our hurt to deafen our ears to the hurt of others, we are invited to maintain perspective and recognize our hurt relative to that of others. Fundamentally, we desire validation, and when we hurt we want someone to notice, and to listen. Listening is a critical point of orientation in a world of possibility because listening that results in hearing is possible when we aren’t most in love with our voice over any other.
We want to know that our existence means something to someone. If we persevere we can even influence someone else, and see a piece of ourselves reflected back to us. If we all persevere together, and keep speaking and listening, we’ll influence our community, and see ourselves reflected back to us.
For us to pursue shared community, we must stop long enough to listen to the voices, experiences, perspectives, ideas, and hopes of the neighbors and the people connected to Capitol Hill. Our community council understands that we are only stronger and healthier when all our thoughts are welcomed.
Our community learns as we interact around problems and opportunities that we identify together as affecting our collective interests. We learn together in relationship.
Most of the craftsmen of the Middle Ages worked tirelessly to construct grand palaces and cathedrals but never lived to see the outcome of their efforts. Yet, they still invested their sweat equity in a vision of a place where the imagined became tangible. They laid down stones – with the understanding that they were contributing to a whole that would inspire generations and endure far beyond their span in years, working to build the physical expression of their highest ideals. With each stone they paid homage to their faith in the future. Our council honors that tradition by collaboratively building surroundings with future generations in mind. We can also build communities as expressions of our highest ideals.
Recently, my friend Stacy suggested I consider: “Next generations will ask us how we spent our time and energy during these days. Our ancestors ask us how we are spending this life they made possible for us.” And, our response should be that we were engaged in making it better for the next generation.
With a more energized and passionate racial justice movement challenging our realities and demanding us to listen, our first step is to listen with empathy and hear them. With a more developed and growing neighborhood daring us to be bold in equitable community building, our first step is to hear from our neighbors.
The Capitol Hill Community Council looks forward to listening to our neighbors and building our community as an expression of our highest ideals at our Winter Open House. We are eager to understand the voices, experiences, perspectives, and hopes for the neighborhood from the very people who make it up. Join us Thursday, December 18, 2014 at 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. for a chance to mingle and meet neighbors, enjoy delicious and festive food and drinks, tap your feet to the Brazilian jazz ensemble, hear from local leaders, and share your feedback about safety, affordability, transit, arts & culture, and more!
CHS is a community partner for the Winter Open House and provided discounted advertising services to support the event.
