[2022-07-15] Positive influence
An inspiring video came up on my Facebook feed this morning: Residents transform their alleyways into stunning urban gardens. The members of a community in Gorse Hill in the city of Manchester, England, were fed up with the state of their back alleys, where passersby left all sorts of garbage. Resident Elena Greenall wanted to change that; she started by planting flowers in an old basket outside her house. Soon, other residents joined her, adding plants, colourful and quirky furniture, knick knacks and bird feeders. It transformed the alleyway from a dumping ground into a beautiful passageway.
Many of the comments on the video are congratulatory ("As a gardener myself it makes my heart sing") while others express doubt that the approach would work in their own neighbourhoods. For example, commenter Sheela Barker wrote: "I love this but sadly if we did this around our way no doubt some unsavory types would wreck it."
Replying to Sheela, Sarah Hatton noted: "I spent most of my life in gorse hill and a few years back I bet most residents would have said the same. Look how brilliant it is...you never know you might be pleasantly surprised."
Elena Greenall, the woman who initiated the Gorse Hill alleyway beautification project, chimed in herself, saying: "One of our alleys main flytippers [a person who dumps trash in an unauthorized place] about 4yrs ago, stopped to listen to me talking to another neighbour in the alley. I was asking if they'd be interested in putting pots/plants out to stop tipping... The neighbour whos family did lots of the flytipping said they'd join in as well.. I though it was just talk and it was a cover up, as such... But sure enough they put the most beautiful hanging baskets and pots out over the following weeks... Plus they stopped tipping. Made me realise, you just never know! Having a chat can change everything!"
This is what Malcolm Gladwell found. As I've shared before, in The Tipping Point, Gladwell describes the Broken Windows theory: "If a window is broken and left unrepaired, people walking by will conclude that no one cares and no one is in charge. Soon, more windows will be broken, and the sense of anarchy will spread from the building to the street on which it faces, sending a signal that anything goes."
When an alleyway is filled with rubbish, it's easy for people to conclude that no one cares and that one more piece of garbage won't make a difference. But transform the refuse-strewn back alley into a charming and peaceful space, and people will be much less likely to leave their unwanted junk behind.
This is the power of positive influence. It is not uncommon to come across certain neighbourhoods that are filled with holiday lights, or frontyard flower beds, or backyard vegetable gardens. A few people spruce up their space and their admirers follow suit. Granted, projects that rely on others to initiate or maintain a change such as the one in Gorse Hill don't always succeed or last, but they are always worth trying.
And positive influences go well beyond physical space. We can influence others by the choices we make to reduce our impact on the environment, the words we use when speaking about others, the way we go through a challenge, the charities we support, the random acts of kindness we perform. And with social media, it's never been easier to influence others to make positive choices in their own lives.
The greatest joy I get from writing Jenesis is hearing how my writing has inspired readers to do something good for themselves or others. That could be seeing their difficulties in a new light, appreciating what they have, reading an inspirational book, reaching out to someone they haven't spoken to in a while, being more hopeful, thinking about their legacy, organizing their home, doing something nice for a loved one.
The video of the alleyway transformation is testimony to what's possible when one person takes a step and others join in. But it starts with one person. We can be that one person.
