Jessica Terezakis

I attended the Bylaw 530 public meeting on August.18th and listened to the perspectives of many Salt Springers and although I am in favour of Bylaw 530, I empathized with points on all sides. The one speaker that I found most moving was a tiny little girl. Her mom shared that she decided on her own accord to share. She spoke so clearly and articulately of her need for a home. After the meeting and much reflection, I realized that what was missing from the meeting, save for the little girl, were our stories. Too often are people's lives reduced to numbers and statistics. Our stories are what connect us, what build empathy, and most importantly what help us recognize the nuance of issues that seemingly divide us. Division that is so often fostered by fear and also so grounded in similarity. As people, we have much more in common than we like to think. It is often the blessing of young minds that reminds us to be open, curious, and most importantly, to listen. So, thank you…