The opening line of Farhat Shazad’s The Role of Interpretive Communities in Remembering and Learning clearly states that “Students’ memories and learning strategies are situated in their social relationships, political orientations, cultural meanings, worldviews, and historical experiences.” This is undoubtably a fact. We look towards our past, present and future with eyes clouded by the impressions of our communities. Whether it be our families, friends, neighborhoods, cities or nations. Every community that we are a part of impacts our mindsets.
But what’s nagging at me: is this a good thing?
Our selective memories are all too often seen through rose-coloured glasses. Shahzad referenced the “War on Terror” and used students to recall their memories of 9/11. Comparatively, 9/11 happened while I was on vacation in Paris. I distinctly remember staring at the TV screen and watching the twin towers crumble into chaos. However, when I look back to that time, my memory is shrouded over with thoughts of beautiful Paris and how innocently happy I was. Sitting in my hotel, 3,627 miles away from the epicenter of tragedy; nothing could possibly infiltrate my bubble of elation. When I recall that vacation I think of the ferris wheel in the Jardin Des Tuileries and the many, many crepes.
10 years later I moved to Paris. My rose-coloured glasses were quickly shattered when all my important belongings where stolen right from my hands. That was only the beginning of many disheartening experiences. Coming from Canada and having known nothing but safe neighborhoods and private schools I was disgustingly unprepared. I was living in my tiny, misguided bubble filled with embarrassing naivety. Paris wasted no time in bursting that bubble and spitting me out into the real world. One of the biggest differences was watching the news. Watching the news in Vancouver is like watching the “happy channel”. For instance, someone finding their cat or a new sea otter at the Aquarium. Paris news was the opposite; It embedded this explicit fear that Paris was constantly at the risk of war and terrorism.
People are told what they want to hear and nobody wants to hear the horror stories. Especially not Canadians. We live in a safe country and we are told by our communities that there’s nothing else to know. Why scare people, right?
We tell people what we want them to hear and that’s the problem.
It began to genuinely irritate me that I was so horribly misinformed. How did I not know that there are people in Paris that make their living off scamming tourists? Or that riding the metro would lead to someone following me home? Or the constant riots?
I had been living my entire life in a tiny bubble only knowing the selective truths that had been passed on in my communities. Paris left me brutally awakened yet thankful. I left with a new found sense of the world and fresh perspective.
I now know that everything is not what it seems. Living in Canada we are alienated from the big picture. There are many things going on in this great big world of ours and it is up to us, personally, to decide how we remember, interpret and learn.
Here is an example of a “top story” from the Vancouver Sun: http://www.vancouversun.com/news/metro/soldier+humiliated+after+service+denied+entry+restaurant/10216155/story.html