A Wholesome Encounter

So this last week or so I have been volunteering as a 'Hate Crime Awareness Student Ambassador', which essentially boils down to changing attitudes. Usually at universities, hate crime as a concept is rarely seen, but it is the hate incidents - things which are not technically crimes but still cause distress - that are the hardest to catch. This includes things such as micro-aggressions and banter, and is commonly characterised by the person on the receiving end (I prefer not to use the word victim), feeling as though it is too small or silly to speak about to another person, and even feeling as though they are somehow at fault themselves. Embarrassment, self-doubt and helplessness are common.

Of course there are different levels of 'Hate'. If a crime has occurred, you should always contact the police directly if you feel able. If it is a hate incident, involving antisocial behaviour, then you may prefer to report it via the link below. Sometimes this measure may still seem too drastic and you may not feel comfortable reporting the offhand things someone has said to you, in which case the best thing to do will usually be to contact your school/college/workplace. Even if it isn't directly linked to your workplace, they will be able to provide you with the proper support, and it is always better to do something than to allow it to keep making you feel uncomfortable.

It is really important to report hate incidents to the police or your local education/workplace, even if those things are too small to constitute a crime. This is because there have been several cases whereby if there was more accumulated evidence, the tragedy may have been prevented. If you wish to report an incident anonymously, for yourself or another person, please visit: http://www.report-it.org.uk/home

The main reason I felt inspired to write this blog today however, was entirely different to the work I was doing. There were four of us, ambassadors, brought together on a torrentially raining day at 9am on a Monday morning. We had a stand of leaflets, fliers, a competition box and even a game; unfortunately the only thing we were missing was any students to actually come to the stand! It turns out students don't like mornings or rain...

There was a sunny side to this however, as we naturally got talking - and as we sat, uninterrupted by any people to the stand, our conversation just kept running and we ended up talking for a straight 4 hours! It was actually a lovely experience, as we were all from such different walks of life, and yet all had interesting things in common (imagine finding 3 A Level music students by chance!). It felt so spontaneous and it was just lovely to have a proper chat with some new people.

We covered all sorts of topics, from the initial hate crime small talk to family issues and even politics. We all had different perspectives, and it was just such a lucky combination of people to really sink our teeth into some good chit-chat. We felt so good we even exchanged details afterwards and promised to catch up over a coffee.

I suppose the main point I wanted to convey was that the smallest, and most random, of daily occurrences can suddenly have such a positive effect on you - and it is important to remember this, especially if you feel you have been stuck in a rut, overwhelmed, or anything else of that nature. As much as work or school can seem of the upmost importance, the short answer is that it isn't. The small things are the spice of life, and you are the most important thing of all. If you feel down, go out and do something for yourself! Do something different, and if you can find someone, even a stranger, to have a good conversation with - then go for it! I can (almost) guarantee it will make you feel far more centred. A different perspective can be just the refreshing thing that you need.