Understanding issues
Communication is a great help
I’ve had a fantastic telephone conversation this morning with a lovely lady who had a daughter involved in the Kids Get Fit Great North Cheer event last Sunday in the Bents Park, South Shields, and I’m really glad that she got in touch. It’s worth reiterating that many children, parents, helpers, and organisers strived extremely hard to provide an event that was meaningful to them and served an important purpose. Once again we saw South Tyneside children at their best, in contrast to reading only negative stories as we often do.
The lady wished to remain anonymous and I respect that, however we both are aware that my post on the issue of photographers rights and my post on “Ask the council” has evoked an emotional response from some quarters, we are also both acutely aware through personal experience and history that we share a common and deep understanding of the issues of childhood abuse within the family environment (not that we are about to discuss this here), so we were able to converse on common ground. Happily we can see that two quite different issues are clashing with each other, my objections last Sunday could just have easily revolved around an old aged pensioners rally or a radio controlled car racing event, it is irrelevant to the common misconception that photographers are an inherent danger to the general public or children in particular, even though I fully understand her position in protecting the knowledge of the whereabouts of her family.
Perhaps when these cheer leading ambassadors from South Tyneside are holding another local event we can get together and discuss a helpful way in which we can achieve better exposure for their activities and perhaps encourage more people to come and applaud their efforts!
No doubt she will be returning to those other parents who questioned my motives and they will be in a better position to understand my efforts to promote South Shields and South Tyneside through the medium of photography and the internet without suspecting me of having irrational ulterior motives (I’m really not that type.)
I’m always available to discuss issues particularly when they are put in the pleasant and non emotive way as they were this morning, it was a real pleasure! You will also find that I am not inclined to censor your comments on these pages (unless they contain profane language.) I find that open discussion and communication is a great way to bridge the gap in understanding between people.
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