“That’s why we’re still here, because we found the common.”
And they did it again with this video about a public adult ball pit– Take a Seat, Make a Friend:
Why are public spaces [ball pits] important?
Because I think we over think actions for peace.
On Sunday, when you’re planning your week, if someone asked you, “Do you have time to dedicate this week to a significant action for peace?” How would you respond?
You scan your agenda. Your list of activities on Monday is already so long they’ve outgrown their box and overflowed into Tuesday. I’ll never check my way through that entire list, you think.
“Hmmm, this week’s going to be tight…and I can’t say that next week will be much better.”
What if they had pitched the question, “Could you squeeze in five minutes to sit in a ball pit with someone you don’t know this week?”
Now remember, I didn’t say do you have significant time? I said do you have time for a significant action?
After cutting through a number of responses that sound something like this, “No way! You do know that ball pits are a cesspool of germs, right? It’s basically the equivalent of a hot tub at Arby’s that’s never been cleaned once and was filled the first time with garbage water siphoned out of the local sewer.”
You might eventually get a, “Yeah, you know, I loved ball pits as a kid. I think I could squeeze that in, but I don’t know about this whole actions for peace thing, Molly.”
And that’s where I’d have to say, “Just trust me. But, also watch the video.”
Something magical happens when we’re forced to bump into people that we wouldn’t normally bump into– we find common ground. There’s often a lack of peace and a lack of understanding when we stop bumping into people who are different than us, when we don’t have places like playgrounds and plazas and parks and ball pits and museums and community centers to bump into each other at.
So, in my book, an action for peace can be many things large or small, but it is certainly one that makes someone else smile, finds the common, or makes someone think, “Hey, you’re not so bad after all.”
There are lots of things we can do: open the door for someone with a smile, sit in a ball pit with a stranger, or sit in a train station community center with neighbors you’ve never taken the time to talk to before.
So, what is your agenda looking like this week? My agenda has a meeting with an awesome public spaces initiative in Asuncion called Puerto Abierto (Open Port), who would like to support bringing their concept to Paraguari and the train station!
Why not start today?
Lots of actions for peace are free, but sometimes they need monetary support, too. Donate today! https://donate.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=donate.contribute.projDetail&projdesc=13-526-009