Local food trucks have a special place. They are integral to a broader culture of takeaway. Rather than eating with others, families dine with themselves. This is not about eating in one’s car. It is about arriving, surveying the menu, ordering, and taking dinner home. Dinner is served warm, from your favourite cook, in the privacy and safe space that defines what home can be. The space for food trucks, each bringing their speciality together with others as a way of drawing customers, reminds me of a modern-day version of Singapore’s hawker centres.
I drove on, thinking of safe spaces, the trusted individuals I share them with, and the joy that comes from breaking bread with others. Life’s whispers were expressed through emotions, memories, and the lingering senses that etched themselves on my heart. In the space that lingered through the night and into this morning, I find myself holding onto observations that serve as my guideposts for the day ahead.
Self-reflection begins within. I have never found the comments of others useful without an awareness of what can be found in a mirror. Growth starts with awareness and acknowledgement. When the observation begins outside, I am pointed back to the mirror to see if I can recognise the truth of what has been said. There is no point in going through the process if I am not open and responsive. The warning remains relevant. “Don’t eavesdrop on the conversation of others. What if the gossip’s about you and you’d rather not hear it?” (Ecclesiastes 7.21)
Safe spaces are places where one can enjoy, challenge, and grow. In the wild, with danger threatening from all sides, I know my mind is closed, focused, and ready for battle. Conflict may offer me lessons and, as a result, provide opportunities for new insights. What conflict will not do is offer me a space to learn, grow, and thrive.
Community has many shapes and sizes. In the past, it was all about one answer, one solution. I am thankful for the gifts others share from all walks of life.
