So, the story about the bags…
It had me thinking. They are just expensive bags. Why do I care?
It’s about the story.
I could be ‘Stewart’. I could be the guy that one of the bags is named after. I could be part of their community. I share many of their values. I am inspired by much of what inspires them. I can see myself, albeit an idealised version of me, in their ‘story’.
Isn’t that what convinces us to join communities? We have to see ourselves as part of them.
Someone I know won’t join the Guild. She’s guild material but can’t see herself in it.
People I know won’t go to church. They believe in God but just can’t see themselves in that community. It doesn’t look like them.
How we express our community matters. It matters much more than we can imagine. Just think about the groups you associate yourself with. Think about the things you describe yourself as. What words do you use? What words don’t you use? We choose what and who we identify with because it says something about who we are.
I’m Stewart. I could be that bag!