I’m hooked on a new (to me) TV show. It’s called “Still Standing” and it airs on CBC in Canada. The series, now in it’s 12th season, follows comedian and actor Jonny Harris as he travels to small towns “against the ropes”.
He tells the stories of the people in these struggling communities who, against the odds, have found a way to survive and even thrive despite all sorts of challenges. 100 year floods, abandoned factories, a wildfire nicknamed “The Beast”, sunken ferries, damaged rail lines, and more, the people living in these communities have found ways to band together, overcome incredible obstacles, and even reinvent themselves in new and interesting ways.
And then Jonny weaves the story into a standup act that he delivers for the community. Part roast and part celebration, it’s beautiful in it’s simplicity and complexity, it’s admiration and levity, it’s joys and disappointments.
It probably goes without saying that I am enthralled by the show. Sometimes I watch the episodes again and again. I am in awe of the beautiful backdrops, the dedicated community members, the unique solutions to tough situations, and the pride of heritage.
I have to admit, though, that this show has me thinking … how many equally cool people live in each or our communities doing equally impressive things to overcome challenges and improve outcomes for all of us? And wouldn’t it be better for all of us if we were out there in our neighborhoods discovering these people, maybe even helping them in their quests, instead of passively watching people in other communities do similar things in far off towns?
It’s good to be reminded that small towns and their community members are “still standing”, because from the outside, things can look dire. But if we’re willing to look beyond the surface, pull off the highway, get out of our cars, walk through town, and visit a local establishment, we’ll quickly discover that good, even amazing things are happening in communities all around us. We just need to have the patience and curiosity to experience it and to recognize it when we see it.
In a world where we interact primarily with others through social media, we can be fooled into thinking that everything is doom and gloom, that the frenetic content that the algorithm chooses to show us is reality. Reality is so much more than that, though. And we’ll never even know about it if we don’t put down our phones and really look for it.
So my challenge to all of us is to unplug from the social media apps, park our cars, and talk to someone in real life. Where is the good happening? What is it? Who’s doing it? And how will we share it with others?
Learn more about “Still Standing” with Jonny Harris here: https://youtu.be/4r8wI1J5JqU?si=c7ZVlIFSFPrLi_wK
nicolederr.com 