Making meaning is what makes us human

This week a square of turf from the Melbourne Cricket Ground was rolled up and put onto a refrigerated truck to be transported about 1800 km to Brisbane. It will be transplanted into the ground at the Gabba for the AFL Grand Final this coming Saturday. 

When I heard this story, it brought to mind Robert Brooke's poem, The Soldier, from 1914 - 'That there's some corner of a foreign field that is forever *Melbourne*. It's a symbolic gesture, that's laden with meaning and recognises our human yearning for connection. But this gesture has drawn criticism for being a waste of money in difficult times, that these funds could have been better spent elsewhere, such as in supporting grassroots sport. 

There are arguments on both sides, highlighting that it's the meaning we draw from an action, rather than the action itself, that is often most significant. Meaning is created in the context of our connection with other human beings. Like an electrical circuit, energy only flows when the connection is complete.

How are you making meaning?

For more on making the human case, download my updated paper, Engaging stakeholders on the benefits of asset management.

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