The Conversation That Changes Everything Might Begin: How is Your Cat?

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I've begun so many difficult dialogues on race and religion by talking about my late dog, Gabby, or my cat, Kat Imani.

I shared tales of our misadventures, where I said or did something very silly, in hopes of creating a safe space. If we want to become a nation of learners, we must become comfortable examining our OWN mistakes.

Have you noticed that when cultural collisions occur, we often attack the drivers? We yell and scream. We cancel folks. We make them feel small. Afterward, we might finally get around to explaining how they could have done things differently. By then, the frustrated drivers have stopped listening.

Here's a question for the pet companions out there: "What would happen if we screamed at our pets following big mistakes?"

When they pee on the floor, jump on the couch, or growl at our best friend, we yell, scream, and throw tantrums. If we did respond with anger, rather than understanding, more pets would bite people.

Consider this: 66 percent of U.S. households (86.9 million homes) own a pet. Dogs are the most popular pets in America; 65.1 households have a dog. And 46.5 million households have a cat.

So if you are wondering why this blog is filled with stories about my dog and my cat, that's why. It gives us a way to relate to each other's experiences, and to build structured roadways across the political divides.    

What might political debate look like in America if the goal was to inform,  learn, and compromise rather than  bully others into accepting our beliefs as right? Well, the conversation that changes everything might begin something like this: How's your cat? How's your dog?

 

 

 

 

Comments

[Jackie Newberry]

I love this, Linda. Thank you.

[Linda Wallace]

Thank you for joining a dialogue that seeks to help us come together!