Healthy Communities in Waterloo Region

Mary-Eileen McClear - Storyteller

The inspiration for this story came from American storyteller Pleasant De Spain who tells a story about a carpenter who builds a bridge between two feuding neighbors instead of a wall.

Once again upon a time, in a mythical land that parallels and mirrors our own, the small community had grown to be a large community. It had fought and continued to fight against the specter of indifference. Still the community grew, new people came in, and came into power, and power was seen as a way of meeting the community needs. The community governors had the power to make decisions and did so for what they believed to be the good of the people. The people accepted the decisions which were made on their behalf.

As the community grew it became well-known for unique structures that existed throughout the town. It was called the town of walls for scattered throughout the town were magnificent walls: each unique, each of a different material, each serving a different purpose.

There was a high strong wall between the generations that lived in the town. It was made of words: hard words, rigid words, unyielding and deep-rooted words.

Another wall was made of people backs, all turned toward the group of youth who lived behind it. They were youth who had made mistakes, broken the law, made unwise or dangerous choices. The wall of backs, it was believed, kept them from making the mistakes again. It kept them separate from those they had offended.

Another wall separated the artists from the rest of the community. They like to be separate, you know. They need to struggle. It is necessary to their art. That wall was a wonder if you could take the time to examine it piece by piece for it was made of the creative efforts of the artists. The artists tried to send their work out into the community but it was stonewalled by lack of space, lack of time, lack of support, lack of money, and so it piled up, keeping them in and others out.

There were other walls, too, around gardens, around waterways... The community's governors, seeing that the walls were becoming famous, decided to capitalize on them. They decided to go one step further. Why not build a wall all around the town? What a great tourist attraction...public relations...so forth and so on.

All the wall builders in that community were already hard at work, so a carpenter was called in from far away. The project was explained to him.

But why? he asked. What good will this wall do? What good do any of the walls do? What purpose do they serve? It will be a marvel, they assured him, and you'll be famous. We have all the supplies you will need to build the wall around our city: there are the tax monies, the steering committees, the by-laws, everything is over in that building. We have to go away on a trip. When we come back, let us see a wall around the town. Time passed and the carpenter began to work. He used those supplies: the money, the by-laws, the steering committees. As he built, people began to watch what was happening. They were intrigued. "What was happening?" they asked him, and he told them of the vision he was working on.

They offered to help. Young and old, from all walks of life, they came to help. This was not something that would be done for them, it was something they would build together because they could see the need for it. When it was done they all stood back to admire what they had built.

It was not a wall at all. It was a bridge. A bridge that went from that town to a neighboring town. Almost as soon as it was done, the citizens of the other town came across, delighted to be able to travel so easily from one place to another in a way that was accessible to all whether on foot, bicycle or other vehicle.

The bridge was such a success that the people began to talk among themselves. .Maybe they could build other bridges in the town. If the walls were taken down there would be plenty of room for them. If the walls were taken down there would be more people to help with the building. But what would they use for material?

You already have what you need most, the carpenter told them. You have yourselves. And the same materials that built the walls, he pointed out, can also be used to build the bridges.

And so it was that the wall of rigid words was talked down. A bridge of steady, abiding, enduring and supportive words and efforts was forged between the generations of the town. Laughter and respect were the mortar used.

When the wall of backs that kept young offenders away was dismantled, it was discovered to have another side: a side with outstretched hands that linked to form a bridge to help the young people back into society, to help them meet and work with those they had hurt. To heal there wounds and guide them on the right paths.

The wall of creative efforts which had kept the artists struggling was turned into a series of bridges that allowed the art and music and words and dance - all those things that hold body and soul together - to cover the whole city.

Groups dismantling one wall would pitch in to help others; effort and supplies were bartered back and forth. Down came the walls around gardens and waterways; up went bridges that joined the community's people.

When the governors of that city returned home, they were at first confused, even angry. But as they observed the changes in the community, there was no denying the success and benefits of the bridge building network.

We must continue this good work, they said, and find ways to help the people advance it. We must be sure that this new vision is sustainable and sustained. We will dedicate our power to the task of working with the people to help them meet their own needs as they perceive them.

And so it was.

The carpenter quietly left the community. He left knowing that the people were empowered with a vision that would join them and keep them together for years to come. He left behind a caring community of people whose perspective changed walls to bridges, whose laughter and respect would hold them together, and whose commitment to each other would see them through whatever the future might hold.