I hate clichés.
Perhaps not in the same way I detest racism or the Miami
Heat or long division, but it’s close. I do not like them because they attempt
to encapsulate unique situations and reduce them to generic universal
babblings. Instead of accurately or intimately describing a situation, clichés
lazily paint a broad picture for the sake of time. Some of my least favorites…
Actions speak louder than words. No they don’t unless the action is actually talking,
then the phrase should be ‘talking speaks louder than words,’ which makes no
sense.
Back seat driver.
Sorry, but this is impossible at worst, and a huge safety hazard at best.
The proof’s in the pudding. Um, actually those are called ingredients.
Anyway, I hope you can begin to feel at least a small
smattering of the ire that wells up within me when these trite slogans work
their way into my range of hearing. I recently attended a conference at
Samaritan House that sought to address the issue of homelessness in Kalispell.
Being the cynic that I am, I had resigned myself to the fact that I would most
likely hear some valuable information riddled with generically overambitious
sayings amounting to the verbal equivalent of a Kardashian: nice to look at on
the outside but lacking depth in other areas. If the primary issue was to
discuss ending homelessness, then how could some of the best clichés in
existence not be avoided?
I have been wrong so many times in my life I once spent a
week doing the opposite of my first reaction any time I was faced with a
decision. Well, those actions ended up being wrong, too, which sent me
tail-spinning into quite the existential crisis. This conference ended up
becoming another notch on my ‘belt of utter incorrectness.’ There were no easy
answers given and the data provided and discussions that ensued were practical
and insightful.
The participants wrestled with the concept of the
community’s role in addressing, and ultimately, ending homelessness. This is
such a grand idea that oozes benevolence and sounds dreamy in a Davey Jones
sort of way, but how realistic is it to think that homelessness can actually be
eradicated? I kept waiting for the easy answers and regurgitated responses to
pour forth, but I was happily disappointed in what truly transpired. There was
a collection of a few different organizations from around Kalispell and we all
were led in a genuinely productive conversation that ended by raising more
questions than answers. And isn’t that the way it should be?
Instead of patting ourselves on the back for some recent
successes, we examined the situation in our community and realized that
positive change can only occur when the social services organizations work
together (think The Avengers without Tony Stark’s snarky comments) to
supplement one another’s strengths and weaknesses. It is going to take
humility, resolve, and dedication, but if we can recognize that homelessness is
a social problem not dependent solely upon the individual, then we can begin to
accurately assess the situation and work toward a solution. We will need the
help of businesses and individuals and many of you in the community, but we are
willing to do our part. As we continue on this journey we will ask much of our
neighboring organizations, you, and ourselves. Please ask yourself what it
means to eliminate homelessness and how you might play a role in this task?
My guess is that it will be much more than a cliché.
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