With over 100 organisations doing stalls & many more attending, this Massive Market Place really was a MASSIVE success.
Well done to Central Forum, Volition (and especially Gill Crawshaw) it was a fun and social day, bringing together an eclectic mix of great organisations who help people in Leeds. We talked with lots of people about lots of things…so here’s a small sample of those conversations…
How much are you worth?
More than I think.
If it was someone else I would say priceless but it’s trickier to say that about me. Feels…boastful? Is it ‘Englishness’ that makes that difficult? My American friend would find it much easier.
We are in a church so I’d have to say that I’m worth dying for (well Jesus thought so anyway).
If you could change anything what would you change?
Sell the riches and give the cash to the poor.
What’s stopping you?
Myself.
Do we have free will?
No of course not. Our hearts beat whether we ‘will’ it or not – same with our lungs and lots of other things. Though we have choices and can choose how we react to any given situation or circumstance.
Who matters most?
God. God matters most. And myself too – I matter. Though I feel like that is one and the same.
What makes you feel good?
Eating with my family.
What is normal?
Not sure. Everyone has their own normal I suppose. What does normal even mean?
Someone google it.
Google says it’s conforming to a standard…
I suppose we are affected by what we read in the papers, on tv. Fake news is a phrase now – that sort of normalises lazy journalism and lying… doesn’t it?
Are we changing the norm or is the norm changing us?
That’s quite a question. I guess if something becomes acceptable or ‘a usual or familiar standard’ then it becomes familiar, it does start to change the ‘norm’. I’ve heard about certain affluent circles of people who normalize child abuse and it makes me think about the way lots of us (me included) normalize eating meat…we know its not good for the environment and it’d be better not to do it, but it tastes good. Oh now that’s a bit contentious isn’t it!
We normalize using mobile phones and other digital devices. I see people sitting together around tables not talking or looking up with their heads in screens. We think digital and the internet has taken us forward but in many ways its taken us way back. The fact that communication devices often stop people communicating is so ironic.
What makes your blood boil?
Disposable society. Littering. Throwing things away because its cheaper or less time to buy another than sort out the one that’s broken or bit old/worn.
What’s it like to be wrong?
I was wrong today actually. I was doing something with a friend and she pointed out to me the error in what I did, and she was right. I thought I’d been thinking of her but I hadn’t I had my own reasons that motivated me. It was good to sort it out actually – so I didn’t mind being wrong.
Awful. I feel so guilty.
It’s difficult until it’s resolved then it’s a relief.
Where do you draw the line?
I guess you know when someone has crossed your line. A neighbor gave unwanted advice to my niece: well I thought that was way over the line because you never interfere in other people’s families. It’s just not your place.I had words with her mother – my niece was very upset.
Comments
You’ve piqued my curiosity. I just had to come over and see what you were doing.
This is great – really gets conversations onto a deeper level.
I’ve really enjoyed this.