Windows to Different Perspectives

It seems that there were many movements for social justice that we often forget to be thankful for. With the work place, there have been laws formed to regulate the safety of the work environment. If it wasn’t for those regulations, we may have been put into potentially dangerous situations at work. Minimum wage is also important regarding work. If minimum wage was not established, not only would employers hire people at inadequate rates to make a living, but competition for jobs would greatly increase. People would be desperate for pay, and employers would be able to take advantage of their employees. I can’t imagine what my mom would be like if it wasn’t for women’s suffrage as well as women’s rights in general. She enjoys politics and speaks openly about her views with people she meets, and she enjoys working outside of the home. If my mom was from an earlier era before women’s rights were established, she most likely would not be able to do either of those; even if she wanted to talk about politics, probably no one would listen to her or respect her opinions. Another movement that is important is the public education reforms. If people didn’t constantly fight for equity in public education, or suggest more funding go towards public education, many of us might have been disadvantaged depending on what school we went to. The pure food and drug act, as well as other regulations made on the production and distribution of consumable products is important because we rely on these standards for our health.

Listening to other people’s stories is a helpful way of expanding your perspective. Stories are like windows into another person’s experiences. When you listen to other people tell stories, you may gain insight on a problem facing a community or the nation. The story may inform you of a situation that you are completely unaware of, or provide a better understanding of the issue. Through stories, you can see how these issues directly affect certain individuals, which speaks louder than what statistics or the media are able to tell you about a problem. Stories also help motivate people, inspire them to become more involved, or to do something significant. It’s important to listen to these stories because you will be able to learn about what others have learned through their experiences. I have no idea what story I could tell that would sum up my life, which inspires me to want to do something that I can tell people about. It is cool to see that some people I have talked to about what our group is doing with horses help genuinely find it interesting. Most people have never heard of hippotherapy before and think that it is cool that we are helping out with these kids.