Diversity in Cycling

[mudsticks]

Oh yes. I find it deeply difficult communicating with people, especially those who are not prone to 'small talk', serious people. As the production team meeting attendee for my depatment, I found it...and still sometimes do, incredibly difficult. But you fight through.im 61 years old and still find some situations uncomfortable.
I took up a new career at 40 and struggled like hell for the first 6 months...but determination got me through.
I deeply detest noisy gatherings or partjes, but sometimes, you just have to do it.

You fight for what you want, sometimes the biggest battle is with yourself..,that's perhaps what shapes my opinions of others...if you truly want it, it has to come from within. No-one can make those really difficult things easy.

Dont get me wrong, if anyone out there trying to make it more inclusive...great, genuinely, I'm all for it....but my opinion is, and always will be, if you want something...fight for it yourself, it then has greater meaning.

I understand where you are coming from in terms of working hard against the odds, and your own demons to get to where you want.

I've done it myself many times.

Maybe where we divide is that I also recognise that I still have some advantage over others, - upbringing, opportunity, whiteness, amongst other stuff, most of which was just luck of the draw, nothing that I really achieved through effort.

Ive built my achievements, with effort, on top of that 'natural born advantage'

But I've also had enough, unfortunate bad sh*t happen too, to know that people can be held back through no fault of their own.. Just circumstances.

And I can see that some people need extra help or encouragement.
Or even for those with privelege to recognise it, and act accordingly.

 

[gbb]

Mudsticks, I cant deny your sense of justice, a very commendable thing...

Personally, I put all my energy...and some not inconsiderable cash into supporting members of my family who tend to be the only focus in our lives. I never had it easy but then you see members of your family who are even less fortunate and will never have the chances I had...and you do everything you can to help.
Most people I suspect do, the focus might be different, but most of us are decent people, the priorities are just different.

 

[mudsticks]

Mudsticks, I cant deny your sense of justice, a very commendable thing...

Personally, I put all my energy...and some not inconsiderable cash into supporting members of my family who tend to be the only focus in our lives. I never had it easy but then you see members of your family who are even less fortunate and will never have the chances I had...and you do everything you can to help.
Most people I suspect do, the focus might be different, but most of us are decent people, the priorities are just different.

Well that's nice of you to say so.

I guess i was brought up to understand how lucky I was just to have modest comforts, and opportunities such as a decent state education.

That not everyone in the world gets even these.

And that I could do what I wanted in life, if I made enough of an effort, that there weren't any real reasons that I shouldn't try stuff.

But that other people have disadvantages, sometimes hidden ones, or suffer prejudices, that make life very difficult.

And that its right to try to address them.

I dont have any dependants, kids are grown up and are OK so far, parents both gone.

So I spose I can think a bit more about the bigger picture.

 

[RoadRider400]

In which case how come i've got a friend who runs a business solely aimed at encouraging women to take up, or to return to cycling?

How does that work.?
Surely the aim of a business is to make money, how does your friends business generate its income? if its solely aimed at encouraging women to start or return to cycling.

 

[mudsticks]

How does that work.?
Surely the aim of a business is to make money, how does your friends business generate its income? if its solely aimed at encouraging women to start or return to cycling.

She runs riding sessions, to teach skills and build confidence, some off road.

She charges money for these courses.

 

[RoadRider400]

She runs riding sessions, to teach skills and build confidence, some off road.

She charges money for these courses.

Good idea that. Well done her.

 

[theclaud]

Oh yes. I find it deeply difficult communicating with people, especially those who are not prone to 'small talk', serious people. As the production team meeting attendee for my depatment, I found it...and still sometimes do, incredibly difficult. But you fight through.im 61 years old and still find some situations uncomfortable.
I took up a new career at 40 and struggled like hell for the first 6 months...but determination got me through.
I deeply detest noisy gatherings or partjes, but sometimes, you just have to do it.

You fight for what you want, sometimes the biggest battle is with yourself..,that's perhaps what shapes my opinions of others...if you truly want it, it has to come from within. No-one can make those really difficult things easy.

Dont get me wrong, if anyone out there trying to make it more inclusive...great, genuinely, I'm all for it....but my opinion is, and always will be, if you want something...fight for it yourself, it then has greater meaning.

When any of the many difficulties of life are more difficult because you have white skin, get back to us.

 

[Seevio]

And yet, the many difficulties of life are still there.

 

[theclaud]

And yet, the many difficulties of life are still there.

What's your point, caller?

 

[mudsticks]

And yet, the many difficulties of life are still there.

No one's denying they are there.

But there is still, a totally unjust inequality, around gender and race, that makes things unecessarily harder again, for those who don't benefit from male, and white privelege.

Sexism, and racism, still exist, that's all.

 

[Levo-Lon]

When any of the many difficulties of life are more difficult because you have white skin, get back to us.

How would you know? Your white. Drum banger

 

[mudsticks]

How would you know? Your white. Drum banger

Because she can read, knows history, and can listen to, and process the experiences of others who are not her, with empathy and understanding.

Clearly not something within your field.

 

[User6179]

Have we came to the conclusion that the lack of diversity is the White man's fault yet?

 

[mudsticks]

Have we came to the conclusion that the lack of diversity is the White man's fault yet?

Some if us kinda have yes.


But others seem resistant to the idea that 'the white man' not wishing to give up exercising his unequal power and privelege, is part of what is stopping everyone feeling comfortable doing whatever they choose, or having the same opportunities. .

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, racism, and sexism are still operating in our world.

Those least willing to recognise that, or most unwilling to do anything sbout it, do seem to be white men, in the main.

So perhaps, we might conclude that there is a correlation yes.

 

[User6179]

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, racism, and sexism are still operating in our world.

Yes they are in your post for all to see!