COLUMN: Village News – Walking in the shoes of another

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 Sept. 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.

Upcoming events

Until Sept. 30 – The museum, the Livery Barn Restaurant, the General Store, and Village Books and Gifts are open seven days per week.

Open daily til 5 p.m. – Gerhard Ens Gallery new exhibit is open: Mennonite Medicine: Cures and Curiosities – 1800 to 1950.

Sept. 24 at 7 p.m. – Jakob Wiens Diary Presentation – MHV Curatorial is hosting a presentation on the Jakob Wiens Diary, featuring a viewing of the Mennonite Medicine temporary gallery and a presentation by Mackenzie Dunseath. Learn about the famous Jakob Wiens Diary, on loan from the Winkler Archives, that was compiled by three members of the Wiens family between 1787 and 1959. Discover a family’s journey across time and place, through travel journals, family history, and home remedies, including one for treating spider bites.

Sept. 30 – National Day for Truth and Reconciliation – Join MHV on National Day for Truth and Reconciliation for a day of history and contemplation. Admission is free for everyone.

Sept. 30 at 11 a.m. – Join Eunice Harrison for her presentation, Gathering in the Spirit of Reconciliation and Family Connections. Free admission.

Oct. 1 at 10 a.m. – Exhibit Explorers – Exhibit Explorers is MHV’s free weekly craft and story hour for children and their parents. Join us Thursday mornings for story time, games, and crafts in our indoor gallery. Completely free and no registration is required. We can’t wait to see you!

Oct. 1 at 7 p.m. – Volunteer appreciation – Our volunteers are unbelievable. If you have volunteered at MHV this past year, we would love to have you come to our volunteer appreciation evening. This will be a great evening full of laughter and refreshments as MHV staff give a big thank you to the volunteers who make our programming happen.

Oct. 24 at 10 a.m. – Perogy making workshop – Learn how to make perogies from the best! Join MHV and Country Perogy Shop to learn all the tricks of the perogy making trade. Go home with two dozen of your own handmade perogies to enjoy!