More to life than sound bites!.

My column in the Herald Express on Thursday, November 29, 2012


LIFE is more than a sound bite. I'm writing this once again in the dark hours before dawn, a time of quiet reflection as the world sleeps. The thing is that once I am awake my mind kicks in and, for me, the new day has started.​ The quietness of the hour allows me some latitude without the daily onslaught of emails, text messages, tweeting, radio, television and other miscellaneous distractions. That daily modern condition impacts upon us all, of course.

There was a time, or so it seems to me, that I would read rather than skim the written word. Too often now I rely on what we casually refer to as a sound bite, that short burst of information that is all too easily lost within seconds. What is a sound bite? A sound bite is a short verbal burst that often tells too little of what is said, leaving the listener only partially informed. But that is the nature of our world today perhaps, a series of short sound and visual images telling only part of a story.

I don't know whether you have been watching the brilliant television series 'Homeland' starring Damian Lewis (pictured).

If you have then you will remember the start of each episode and the series of stark monochrome news clips. For me there is an echo, some 40 years later, of Simon and Garfunkle's Silent Night which has the famous Christmas hymn threaded with traumatic news clips of the day. Sound bites! So many of us these days exist on the sound bite clips that record these troubled times and that, I suspect, distorts reality. I say that because the sound bites automatically report the all too shocking news and can reinforce the feeling that little good is going on.

Certainly for me the past year has been a roller-coaster that has left me battered by personal events that make me tend to pick up the negative. Then suddenly up pops a flash of light, a moment of abstract amusement or an event that spreads a feeling of positive warmth! Let me tell you about an event that did lift my spirit.

Last week, I attended the 2012 graduation ceremony for the latest batch of locally trained social entrepreneurs. "Social what?" you ask. Some years ago social activist Michael Young set up a number of things that for me and many others demonstrate the power of social interaction in a way that does work for what might be described as the greater good. One of those outcomes has been the establishment of a number of schools for social entrepreneurs. What an odd word entrepreneur is! It is, of course, a sound bite word too often and covers a wide variety of business activity. Do a little homework and look at the dictionary definition and then look at the way in which it is used.

It might bring a smile to your face and make more sense of distorted sound bites. Locally a few years ago a school for social entrepreneurs was established at Dartington and trained folk in developing socially based business activity. So often in the past good schemes that help and build social cohesion were lost because of a lack of business knowledge. Lord Young was very aware of that and his vision allowed the development of training bases that gave a business framework, if you like, to the dream. I thought that the latest graduates — who become fellows of the School of Social Entrepreneurs after a one-year course — reflected the dramatic changes occurring in our world and really gave me hope for the future.

During the afternoon each graduate spoke with passion about their work and I have to tell you that I was hugely moved by each presentation. The graduating social entrepreneurs are Paul Savil (Re-Branch), Rachel Williams (Transitions), Katherine Ford (The Carousel Project), Anna Clarke (R-emerge), Kirsty Mooney (Families Together), Michelle Preston (Simply Dynamic), Alan Whittle (ES-GEN), Robin Causley (Sustain Ability), Sarah Ready (Torbay Food Bank), Greg Meanwell (Village of Kin), Richard Woodall (Unknown Film School) and Hayley Mogridge (Knowing-Me Life Books). What an afternoon and what a footprint these folk might leave as a beacon of light in a troubled world. I have no doubt that they will and if you have computer access do look at www.dartington.org/sse for more information.

My parting words were: "I wanted to say how much I enjoyed Wednesday afternoon. In these dark and troubled times we need more than ever to be looking for the greater good and your journey is already a beacon of light. Keep the faith, good luck and walk gently on the world."

The afternoon presentation offered so much more than a sound bite and as I walked back to the now parking metered Dartington Hall car park I felt hugely inspired and feel that our community will benefit from their vibrant ethical social interaction.

Keep the smile!