Connecting to Others

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Submitted by Gabby

...we are all in this fight together...

My Greatest Lesson so far has come from Cross the Line. Our class felt really disconnected and I could feel the energy of fake relationships and cliques. I wasn’t the biggest fan of the vibe that our class was putting out. It felt like an illusion of belonging - when the bell rings everyone just goes back to their own little corners of the world.

What I love most about Cross the Line is that it gives participants the opportunity to be vulnerable and recognize that they are not alone. It gives the participants a taste of what it feels like to explore other corners and it helps them realize that we are all in this fight together and that the cliques and separateness doesn’t stop our war with the world. This class, where we can be as one instead, gives us allies and support.

This activity also helps participants see that we leaders (their schoolmates) are just like they are and that we are here for each other.

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The use of 'Stories' is ​one of my favorite tools. During the Cross the Line activity we use The Story of Kyle by David Mikkelson. Briefly, this story discusses how a seemingly tiny act of kindness saves someone’s life.

Particularly in the Cross the Line activity, it feels intimidating to share, so I love the use of a story because it can give someone a connection to the others without having to share themselves. The story cannot only serve as a voice for the voiceless of the group but it can also make a lighter metaphor relate to the bigger picture. (Children’s picture books are particularly good for this as they usually have softer ways of describing bigger scarier issues.)