Hello out there! During this crazy time, I have decided to behave as normally as possible. So, I will continue posting my little snippets for as long as you keep enjoying them.

“When it was unrolled down the aisle in Parliament it hit the back wall with a thud.”

These words introduce “The Making of Suffrage in Stitches” exhibition in the Wellington Museum. This exhibition celebrates the gaining of votes for women in 1893 in Aotearoa New Zealand, the first  self-governing country to give women the right to vote.

The exhibition’s 300m length, representing the 300m long petition, the 546 sewn fabric panels, representing the petition’s 546 pages and the 25,521 hand stitches, representing the 25,521 signatories is a monster project, evoking the petition’s apt nickname, the “Monster”.

The imagery the words “with a thud” conjurs up is gold. That resounding thud illustrates the tireless effort of Kate Sheppard and the Women’s Christian Temperance Movement to gain this victory and the resounding effect it had from that time in history to today.

If the story of that day in 1893 had not been recorded, that scene would be lost. The word “thud” speaks volumes. It is vitally important to record the stories behind the events, not just facts and dates.

When helping people to write their life stories, I capture as many thud words as I can. Because it’s the thuds that bring their story to life and provide the best insight into their character.