Humans have a tendency to be preoccupied with their own lives. We create schedules for ourselves in order to remind us of our daily responsibilities and personal goals. We examine ourselves in the bathroom mirror before we venture into our daily routines to assess whether we are presentable. And we evaluate whether we have had a ‘good day’ based on how successful we were in ensuring that all activities and interactions with others were favourable for our own lives.

But what does it mean to ‘walk a mile in someone else’s shoes’? It is natural to think about ourselves and our own challenges and feelings. It takes more effort to imagine what others are experiencing: to look at the world through someone else’s eyes instead of just our own; to stop and think about why a person acts or speaks a certain way; or to acknowledge that everyone carries burdens and faces battles that we cannot see.

In the service industry, an important aspect of good customer service is walking to the ‘other side of the counter’ to experience what customers are experiencing when requesting service. It’s not good enough for an employee to be competent in the knowledge of the product that they are selling or the service they are providing. They also need to ensure that the customer or client is able to understand what is being offered to them. Both perspectives are necessary for a successful transaction to occur.

At Mennonite Heritage Village, we share stories of the early Mennonite settlers to Manitoba. It is important to highlight successes, struggles, and changes in Mennonite communities. We also acknowledge that our ancestors did not land in Manitoba alone. There were other settlers who began farming at the same time as the Mennonites. There were Metis communities that predated the Mennonite settlements. And there were Indigenous groups inhabiting many of the same areas that became productive farmland for the Mennonites. What would it have been like to ‘walk in the shoes’ of any of these other groups? What would they have experienced in relation to the Mennonites who were newcomers? MHV is interested in these stories as well, so that we can share a more complete story of Manitoba history and Mennonite settlement.

For society to be healthy and meaningful, we must also learn about the perspectives of others in order to understand each other. On September 30, Mennonite Heritage Village is commemorating National Day for Truth and Reconciliation as one example of ‘walking in someone else’s shoes’. We will be reflecting on and listening for Indigenous perspectives about the history of our communities. We are privileged to welcome Eunice Harrison as she shares her experiences. Her topic will be Gathering in the Spirit of Reconciliation and Family Connections. Please join us on this free admission day.