Have you read “Thunder”, the glorious, bitter-sweet short story by acclaimed author Patricia Grace?  If not, make yourself a cuppa and click the link above to have a read – it will take less than 10 minutes.  Then come back for a discussion about what this story tells us about the bubbles we live in, law-making and power sharing.

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How was the experience of reading “Thunder” for you?

For me, the story made me acutely aware of the privileged bubble I live in.   With food in the cupboard and money in the bank, my comfortable life rarely requires self-sacrifice.  But in Andy’s world, things are different.  Andy’s Mum works two jobs but food is still scarce, twelve-year-old Andy looks after his younger siblings, Maitland cares for her fifteen-year-old sister’s new baby,  Aunty Sandra drops everything to rescue the small girl caught in the thunderstorm.  In Andy’s world, self-sacrifice and quiet heroism are daily occurrences.

And the contrast between Andy’s world and the lives of many law-makers and influencers is even more stark.  Aotearoa’s Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, for example, owns seven mortgage-free properties.  Or, for a truly grotesque comparison, in June this year Tesla shareholders approved a US$46 billion pay package to their part-time CEO, Elon Musk.   When Elon is hungry, does he “make toast – if there’s butter we put it on”?  If his Aunty brought treats, would he have gone “to the table with the milk and Milo and sat clutching as though Milo and milk might run off?  I think not.

But back to Aotearoa, here’s the thing.   It is usually people living in bubbles of privilege who make the policies and laws affecting whānau like Andy’s. Laws like the setting of the minimum wage – which causes Andy’s Mum to struggle to feed her kids, despite working two jobs.  Or the Child Protection legislation – which makes Maitland too scared to claim her benefit entitlements for fear of losing her children.  (And, the currently proposed repeal of Section 7aa of the Oranga Tamariki Act, which removes the need to have regard for the whakapapa and whanaungatanga of Māori children, will make things worse still.)

Furthermore, judgement and blame are often dished out instead of empathy and support – the “pull yourself up by the bootstraps,” or “get a job” mentality.  When, as we see in this story, one job may not be sufficient – even assuming a job can be found.  As the late Professor Ranginui Walker once said, “I have no time for privileged people who take advantage of their privileged position to attack the weakest people in our society.”

So how is it that we think it is fine and normal for people living in a privileged bubble to make decisions for and judge those on Struggle Street?   And what can we do about it?  Here are three things which those of us living in privilege might consider:

• Find ways to get out of our bubbles.  For example, attend local community events, do some volunteering, learn a new skill alongside people who don’t look like us, find an excuse to host a potluck meal for a diverse group, offer to help in the kitchen at our local marae.   Additionally, for people living in the greater Wellington region, an example of intentionally combining bubbles is Wesley Community Action’s Just Change, where “doers and donors make change together.”
• Support advocacy organisation like VOYCE Whakarongo Mai which amplifies the voices of children and young people in care, the Child Poverty Action Group for addressing poverty, Tax Justice Aotearoa for fairer distribution of wealth and unions to support worker rights.
• Use our influence within organisations to share and cede power.  What does the board and management look like in the organisations we are involved in?  If the leadership team is white and wealthy, there is a high chance that we will perpetuate decision-making that negatively affects families and communities like Andy’s.

But all this starts with simple caring and empathy, and reading “Thunder” provides an empathy boost for us all.   My sister Margaret, who first pointed me to this story,  commented that “Thunder” should be required reading for all central and local government politicians.  I agree.  And required reading for the rest of us too.

With heartfelt thanks to Patricia Grace, whose sensitive, evocative, and understated writing I so admire.  “Thunder” is part of the “Bird Child and Other Stories” collection; all the stories are great and I highly recommend this book.