Manchester holds roundtable — talks about the weather

Illustration by SketchAnon (real person, not AI), courtesy of Linda and Peter Knox.

submitted by Linda & Peter Knox, Manchester Voices Indivisible

One gorgeous fall evening last week, about 20 area residents gathered for seasonal treats—homemade bread with apple butter, a pumpkin-spice sheet cake, and sliced pears with topping choices of toasted walnuts, gorgonzola, and lavender-infused golden raisins—and also to talk about the weather. Presented by Manchester Voices Indivisible, “Manchester Talks about the Weather” invited the community to respond to the prompt “How do you feel about the changing weather?”, interpreting it as seasonal change, Earth’s climate change, or political climate change. Manchester Mirror publisher Fritz Swanson moderated the open roundtable. 

“I’m sorry I can’t come,” read an RSVP. “I would have submitted a sketch that was a big messy dark morass hovering over me, but with a ray of sun trying to poke through. But I’d be walking forward anyway. Which is how I think of this effort—the ray of sun pushing through the mess.”

Most who attended came to hear what their neighbors would say, not with an intention to speak themselves. Over the course of the evening, almost everyone chimed in. There was some disagreement about an ideal outdoor temperature, but many spoke of loss, fear, and frustration—and of faith, determination, and hope. 

The following remarks have been selected and edited from handwritten notes to give voice to recurring themes in the conversation. 

Isolation and disconnection: 

• “What’s bothering me most is the lack of rapport, the inability to talk.”
• “Ten years ago, if I were sitting next to a stranger anywhere in town, I’d expect to strike up a conversation. That’s not how I feel now.”
• “People are hurting, because they don’t talk to each other.”
• “I wish this wasn’t changing the neighborhood.”
• “It comes from a lack of faith in others.”
• “I used to take bread to my neighbors. I don’t do that anymore. I guess because I can’t find forgiveness.”

Barriers:

• “There are barriers everywhere—in sports, religion, politics. We don’t see what we have in common—only that we’re on different sides. It’s hard to cross the line.”
• “Symbols are designed to divide us. And then we wear them, and we’re divided. I’m looking for a way to walk away from that control, for ways to be better engaged.”

Fear: 

• “We’ve already lost most of our democratic process. Only voting is left. Will we have a real election in 2026?”
• “Democracy is a conversation. People have to be informed. We need free public schools and media. I’m afraid we could lose those.”
• “I feel the anger out there. Is it fear of change?”
• “I see kids that are hurting, and struggling with adults spewing so much anger. It makes me very sad, and scared.”

Seeking peace and integrity:

• “I think most of us just want to live together and not fear. How do we break through?”
• “I focus on positive things—shared songs, shared love for the land, and food!”
• “If we can agree on the problems, we can try to work together on solutions.”
• “We do what we can. We have to keep trying.”

“It seemed real, raw, and unscripted,” one participant reflected afterward. ”People were expressing vulnerabilities, fears, frustrations, positive outcomes, and hope.”

The Manchester Talks series will continue with a new community discussion on Wednesday, November 19. Details to be announced soon!

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by Sara Swanson

Sara Swanson is an editor, writer and a founder of the Manchester Mirror.