I was probably 12 or 13 when my whole class was asked by our teacher to choose and then present a topic on our “future occupation”. At such an early age, it was a pretty hard task, however I already knew that I would be happy if my job had something to do with football. I decided to become a sports commentator. During my lesson, I passionately tried to cover a match between my beloved Motor Lublin and possibly the most famous club in Poland, Legia Warsaw. I loved the whole experience!
5 to 6 years later, as a History student, I had to read and write a lot. Interestingly, I didn’t always enjoy it. Looking back, I think that one of the reasons why I found it occasionally boring was the fact that reading and writing was “imposed” on us. I couldn’t choose what I wanted to read and therefore my options were quite limited.
Since coming to Britain, and in particular since I started working in the Community and Voluntary Sector in Hertfordshire, I had to quickly learn how to write reports, evaluate projects and often present a wide range of initiatives, which I was leading or supporting.
I wonder how many of us, during the last 20-24 months, took a bit of time to explore our new talents or re-evaluate our life priorities. For me, the greatest discovery in the last 2 years was that I enjoy writing and that writing or reading can make a positive impact on us, our lives and our communities. I would actually argue that both can also help to transform lives.
In the last year or so, I came across a lot of people, who, by writing, inspire others to stop, reflect on our lives, our daily routines and who very often, in spite of their own struggles, never gave up trying to create “bridges of dialogue and understanding”. I was truly inspired by a story of a still relatively young boy from Northern Ireland, Dara McAnulty. He has autism, he had a difficult school experience. However he found that writing helps him to express himself. His book, Diary of a Young Naturalist, is already a bestseller. In one of his interviews, Dara talks about “layers of activism”. Each type of activism can play a part in improving the way in which we perceive and understand the world.
So, what have I learnt since I started writing? Each topic, small or big, local or global, enables me, when I write, to reflect on my own perception of a particular issue and helps me to be challenged and educated. There is always something to talk about!
I often try to do my own research. It is quite important, actually critical in particular today, when available information might present itself as false or misleading.
I also try to be “original”. This, of course, doesn’t mean that I have a fantastic style of writing. However, I tend not to share “stuff” and I am doing my best to come up with “unique” content. Although I agree that something, a simple sharing might be actually quite helpful, it is quite a passive exercise. Yes, in order to do it and do it well, we need to have space, time and energy so that we can immerse ourselves in a specific subject or story.
There is one other, in my view “magic ingredient”, which makes the whole experience so special. Nowadays, when cultural and political polarization has become a norm, I try to ensure that my articles are well balanced. It is, of course, never easy as writing is in itself an act of forming or expressing an opinion. However, remaining hopeful, noticing a light in the tunnel, focusing on what unites us and not only what divides us, provides a platform for social change in our thinking and behaviours.
It is very true; language is so important. Words matter. Although access to social media made communication a lot easier; our verbal (online and face to face) conduct has in my view suffered a lot in recent years. We all post quite a lot. We all share quite a lot. We all communicate a lot. The story of Dara demonstrates that writing can help individuals and communities to find a voice. It can also provide an important platform to continue building bridges between people. It can give us hope. I know that I discovered that writing helps hugely to connect people. It is fantastic that we can all contribute differently to community activism.
* Michal Siewniak is a Lib Dem activist and councillor for Handside ward, Welwyn Hatfield.
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5 Comments
Michal, your writing is excellent, reflective, insightful.
Your command of English is impressive, eloquent,remarkable!
I believe , as a performer, writer, myself, and indeed, as a motivator, campaigner, in the power of words.
The trouble is, our language, especially one used as widely as English, is developing, and as ever, a work in progress. Really, in my view, today, too many expressions, have replaced older ones, and too many short cuts are now the regular feature, of common parlance.
Why do sentences todat start with “so”?!
Why do we say ,issues “around,” for example, “issues around, housing,” rather than say, “housing issues.”
Why is it “a big ask,” rather than, ” alot to ask, ” or ” an important question.”
Why is it “beyond my pay grade” rather than say, “not something I know much about, ”
Sloppy, silly, but few care!
I am glad to see those like you, the author of our excellent piece here, like my father who was an Italian immingrant to the UK, like my mother in law who was a Polish refugee in the US, do so much better with our language development, than do, so many Brits and Americans!
Lorenzo, I agree with your attitude, generally, and can offer you an authoritative answer to your query about the growing use of ‘so’ instead of ‘well’. My brother has spent a working life translating from Dutch into English. He tells me that this is because so many US academics and experts have backgrounds in German, and so many German-speakers work in the USA, that the word used in German speech, where we English begin an explanatory sentence with “Well, . . .”, use the German word “So,. . . ” I share your regret at this infection, but doubt if it can now be cured.
I quite like the ‘pay grade’, though. Surely It very succinctly says the same thing, with just a touch of humour adding to the real character of the situation without being inappropriately facetious? But used too often, it would get wearisome. Like the lazy or evasive obfuscation in promoting “multiple” instead of a dozen words more informative.
Roger
A really thoughtful response, appreciate that.
I did not know this , never heard that, about what your translation of German, from your brother’s knowledge, explains. Very possibly that might sccount for it.
You are correct on the, rather more imaginative, use of “pay grade,” but my wife, of American birth and upbringing, cringes, hearing what she thinks sounds too “money oriented,” or “economics dominated,” a sounding phrase. I remember thinking , help, when, for example, used by Now ex, then, president, Obama, when asked about abortion, utilised the “paygrade,” colloquial expression! It trivialises too!
Another interesting article Michal.
And Lorenzo, oh how I agree with you about every answer to a question beginning with SO, I start shouting SO before they answer now, just another symptom of the ” grumpy old man syndrome ” I suppose!
Barry I have not yet got grumpy old man, or even, my own demographic, grumpy middle age man, but I relate to you my chum!