Where has community and generosity showed up unexpectedly in my life?

The occasion that comes to mind demands telling a little background. There was a time when I was in a leadership position of a resort property and was accused by a staff person of racism stemming from a decision I had made about a promotion being denied. The staff of about 40 was residential and lived at the property, so they called for a staff meeting and invited me to come and answer the accusation in a public setting. I was pretty nervous about this to say the least, and of course attended.

I was placed in the front and there was a loose structure of people that ‘led’ the procedure. And the accuser was in amongst the others and the accusation once again leveled at me.

I simply told my side of the story. I gave details about my interactions with the individual that the person had never before revealed that led to my making the decision. At some moment, in the dynamic of the room, it all shifted and became clear that I had not only done nothing remotely approaching the behavior I was accused of, but that the accuser had been untruthful about the previous interactions with me. I was vindicated.

The effect was deeply engrained in my psyche. I was vulnerable, and in the moment as honest as I could be, open to the fact that perhaps, what I had done, was unconsciously racist in some way. And the fact that the community, my staff, saw me as I was, and in that light was able to be generous to listen and consider.

It was a teachable moment for all of us. And that community was stronger for the exercise. I was stronger as well, having gone into that meeting unsure of the outcome, yet trusting the community.

This took place in Hawaii, and the process was a traditional one called Hoʻoponopono.