The last Lowestoft Carnival was thirteen years ago. Last year Des said, ‘We should bring back the carnival.’ Others from The Seagull Theatre shared his vision. Initial ideas took shape. Plans became public. ‘It’s the wrong time… the wrong place… it will never work…’ They persisted. Plans came together.
Yesterday it all happened. Many volunteers got involved. Hundreds of people created fifty floats. Thousands of folks lined the streets, enjoying the whole day.
The potential for a successful carnival was always there. Des’ creative skill, patient efforts, and persistent determination unlocked that potential.
Working in schools taught me of the importance of discovering, recognising and drawing out potential. The quiet boy with the potential to enjoy and appreciate books… The clear-thinking girl with the potential to become a scientist… The timid child with the potential to perform on a stage and gain confidence… The active child with the potential to develop sporting skills… And the potential for all to become better people, developing empathy, compassion, appreciation, gratitude, cheerfulness…
Since retirement I’ve appreciated more fully that older folk have potential. I know… a competent guitarist who only started learning to play when he was fifty… an older gent who’s using his sewing machine to make up curtains for his new house… a friend who recently tried wood-turning for the first time and has made a lovely bowl. And all with the potential to develop their levels of tolerance, understanding of others’ needs, appreciation of beauty…
Many around me focus on the potential for things to go wrong, for us to mess things up, for evil to dominate. To ignore such potential would be both foolish and unrealistic.
I choose to focus on the good, the potential for a better tomorrow; my Christian faith points to a Jesus who could see the potential for good, in working fishermen, condemned prostitutes, a few loaves and fishes, failures and rebels, and ordinary people like me. My job is to unlock potential by working out how to get there…
malcolmsmusings.org 
Thanks for the reminder, Malcolm, that people make the difference, regardless of age.
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I think I was conscious, Grant, that I’ve often talked about the potential of younger people, but don’t celebrate so much the potential of older folk.
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My wife and I enjoyed a reading of poems Saturday evening. The 80-year-old cowboy weaved stories and poems together, entertaining, informing, and inspiring the audience. We planted a seed, encouraging him to publish his work. Like dropping a stone into still waters, we never know how the ripples will affect others.
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“Working in schools taught me of the importance of discovering, recognising and drawing out potential.” – Love your ability to draw out potential, Malcolm!
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Thank you, Wynne. You are very kind. I guess it’s a two way process involving the draw-er who is drawing the potential, hopefully with care and skill, and the draw-ee who must have the potential that can be drawn out…
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