If A Tree Falls in the Forest, Does Anybody Hear?

Is it still worth using our voice when it seems like no one is listening?

I’m a little discouraged. I just finished posting on social media my third of five videos about how to make free transit happen in Toronto. It’s a strong vision for me that represents a wonderful way to increase freedom of movement in our city. I want to shout my ideas to the rooftops. But so far, it’s crickets from the political insiders. According to the Toronto Star (whose list of candidates is divided into two clear blocks of people - those who matter to them, and those who don’t (I’m in the latter category)) or any other major news source, I pretty much don’t exist, and therefore the ideas I’m suggesting - even radical ones like eliminating fares on the TTC - don’t get talked about in those places. My social media posts seem to get noticed by only a few people, and even here on Substack many of my posts end up in people’s spam folders, or unread.

If I ruminate too much on what the result of my efforts is, I can get in a downward spiral that goes nowhere good. I get angry at the news or jealous of other candidates, I feel like a victim of an uncaring world, and I want to just forget the whole thing and go back to bed.

I tell this not to say cue the violins and sob along with me. I bring it up so I can remind myself, and offer support to those who can feel the same sometimes, that it’s not about what happens after we use our voice. It’s just about using it the way that feels good. When we sing in the shower do we do it to become famous? No, we just do it because it’s fun. That’s how I want to use my voice outside the shower too.

During an interview with independent journalist Jim Kerr a few days ago I was asked how I would encourage people to participate who were fed up with the system. To tell them why they should vote, or how to get involved in shaping the city where they live. Jim said many people are fed up or feel the system is rigged against them, that it’s just not worth it. My response to him, and my reminder to myself here, is that we aren’t here to measure ourselves by what others say about us, or what they do with our ideas. We are here to live our own lives as fully as we can, to participate in each of our own moments, to hear ourselves sing.

The other side of the coin of “why isn’t anyone listening to me” is “why aren’t I listening to anyone else?” There’s a line I love in a joke about two people chatting. One person has just finished a long monologue about themself and how they are doing. They take a breath and say to the other person “But that’s enough about me, let’s talk about you. What do you think of me?”

If that’s how I live, it’s going to be a pretty boring conversation. But if I stop to listen to what the other person has to say about their outlook, their vision, and their attitude, I’ll hear and learn something new. Plus, I might be able to notice the people who are listening - the people who do like my posts, who ask me to talk about my ideas, who want to spread my message. If I’m too busy noticing the Toronto Star ignoring me, I can’t appreciate the words of support from those of you who are resonating with my ideas.

I’ll get back to writing about all of the policy thoughts I have for this city in my next posts. Thank you for listening to me give voice in this one to my insecurities and ruminations. Maybe they are like puppies - it’s important to let them out to run around sometimes until they tire themselves out. Then they can rest while I get back to work.