|
| |
I was a "rover" for a Michigan Peace Team presence at one of the MSU football
games that followed a spring of rioting and unrest on campus. Peace teams were
moving among the crowds of tailgaters, mostly chatting and helping the crowd
feel at ease.
As a rover, I was on a bicycle, moving between the different peace teams and
helping with communication. I had come to the top of a small valley on campus,
looking for one of the teams. As I got off my bike, I surveyed the crowd. I
noticed two men who appeared to roughhousing with one another. Yet, there was
something about them and I watched longer to assess whether this was truly all
in fun. Suddenly, one young man drew his arm back and threw a full beer can at
the other man.
Before I knew it, I was running down the hill. We tell peace team members not to
run, it causes people to become tense. I, a rather large white woman wearing a
bright yellow tunic, was running. A good number of people were turning to watch
me, but the two men hadn't noticed. So I yelled "HEY." That got their attention.
And everyone else's attention. Everyone was looking at me.
I had successfully distracted folks from the potential for violent conflict. Now
what? So I said exactly what was going though my head - all in a rush - to the
two men. "You guys are making me look bad! Look - everyone is watching us and I
have this yellow thing on that says Peace Team and if you two fight, what are
people going to think?" The two men turned slightly to confirm - yes, everyone
on the hillside was watching. They stepped back. They turned. Like the great
stage performers of another era, they ceremoniously shook hands. The crowd went
wild. The men hugged each other and turned to wave at the cheering crowd.
As the crowd resumed their previous entertainments, the two men and I took a
minute to exchange names and talk about how they got into that mess in the first
place. Very quickly, they both reached the conclusion that their differences
were minor and shouldn't have led to a fight. They returned to their friends and
I resumed roving.
Amy Gilmore Cairns
Humming Earth Coaching & Consulting
(503) 515-4911
amy@hummingearthcoach.com
http://www.hummingearthcoach.com
|
