Cards Against Humanity (reflections/freewrite)

Skimming over my last couple posts, I hope I’ve conveyed the picture that Public Allies is made up of these incredible, highly passionate, and motivated people who make the choice to dedicate their lives both professionally and personally to the service to others. They inspire me everyday and remind me of the value of the human element.

This weekend we took the new class up to the Prescott Mountains for a three-day intensive community building retreat. We use this time not only to get the Allies to better understand the invaluable importance of the cohort as a place of mutual respect, support, and community. Since the program lasts 10 months, it is our priority that Allies break down their walls and become completely comfortable and vulnerable with each other as fast as possible due to the intensity of the program. During the retreat we use an exercise called Life Maps to challenge each Ally to become as vulnerable and open with the cohort as possible. I cannot disclose the things that are shared in this space, but to say that it is powerful and invigorating would be an understatement.

Allies come from all walks of life, whose individual experiences some traumatic others incredibly fortunate, have lead them to value the importance of service not as an act of charity, but as a responsibility and an honor.

These are people who played with the cards life dealt them; thier significance is that no matter how good or bad that hand was at the end of the day they chose not to play any against humanity.

These people are the brave, the risk takers, the fighters, the heroes. They are the sowers of the human element, and the nurtures of the most vulnerable. People like them are the incubators of hope and humanity.

I’m honored to have the opportunity to learn from them everyday. Everyday they challenge my inhibitions and give me a new purpose, pride, and perspective that I will take with me as I pursue a career in public service.

Moving forward my struggle will be to make it a purpose to persuade my colleagues of the ethical importance of these lessons. Government bureaucracy, although at times necessary and effective, has robbed too many involved of their sensitivity towards the people and replaced it instead with processes that favor efficiency, effectiveness, and uniformity. To think these processes put us at a better place is the highest bluff palyed against humanity.

My hope, is that my generation will see the win of the next game.