Hello,
A busy lunch today. As so often, the meal starts off quietly, a few grumpy folks, but the food’s good, chat breaks out, then laughter and more chat. Wonderful.
I’m looking around (as I do), trying to support someone who is finding this difficult, trying to distract someone else who is being inappropriate, whilst half (possibly quarter) listening to a weird conversation about MasterChef, and I think Vaseline!
We did a calculation the other day and we have held over 2,500 lunches at LandWorks and yes, I have pretty much been at them all.
I hear what you are saying. That is a bit of statistical evidence for our evaluation team to use (read the 2022/23 evaluation report here, it’s worth it) and perhaps ask me a few questions about hundreds of lunches…
“So, Chris, what are your thoughts?”
Well, over lunch I watch people’s faces, listen to their lives and often I’m left thinking, oh heck what is the rest of your life going to look like? Because you’ve just told me you’re fucked, never going to get out of this mess, what’s the point in working and sometimes what’s the point in living.
I sit there like a big sponge, soaking it up and at times thinking, hmm yes, I can see what you mean, and I agree your future does look bleak.
Of course, I never say that. Instead reflecting on and/or challenging these comments, encouraging another view to emerge.
I remind myself it all takes time and people really do change the course of their lives at LandWorks for the better.
If I really need a reminder, then I look at one of our recent films One Day.
The men and women from LandWorks talking on this film explain everything so clearly and they let you know that this place is incredible.
Chris
7th Decemeber 2023