OPINION: The courage to see the small picture
Becky Funk
Three books have changed the way I see the world.
Charlotte’s Web taught me about friendship, loyalty and sacrifice. To Kill a Mockingbird gave me a strong sense of justice by showing the human casualties of injustice.
The third is Allen Levi’s Theo of Golden.
This book challenged me in a different way, reminding me that we don’t always have to focus on the big picture. In fact, concentrating only on the big picture can keep us from seeing what’s right in from of us. The small picture requires us to look closely at the individual crossing our path and to risk being vulnerable ourselves, because true connection begins when both people feel seen.
Without giving away the story, Theo is an older gentleman who arrives in the small Southern town of Golden and begins forming relationships through simple, thoughtful acts. He doesn’t set out to launch a movement or transform the community. He simply notices people.
Here are five lessons I carried away from his story.
1. Take time to truly see people.
We encounter people every day without really noticing them. Theo reminds us that every person has a name, a history, and a story worth knowing.
In a culture that constantly sorts people into political, economic, and social categories, seeing someone as an individual can be a radical act.
2. Listening is an act of generosity.
Most of us listen while preparing our response. This one hit me hard. Theo listens because the other person matters. Often the most meaningful act of generosity is putting down the phone, resisting the urge to interrupt, and giving someone our full attention.
Real listening also asks something of us. It requires enough openness to move beyond polite conversation and meet another person honestly. People may forget our advice. They rarely forget how it felt to be heard and understood.
3. Kindness should be personal.
Kindness is more than being pleasant. It requires curiosity.
What would make this person feel valued? What small gesture would let them know someone cares?
Real kindness begins by acknowledging that every person has inherent value and it’s not because of what they offer or what they can do for us.
4. Ordinary people can change a community.
Theo does not arrive with fanfare. He begins quietly with intention.
One thoughtful act leads to a conversation. One conversation creates a connection. Over time, those connections strengthen the people around him.
We’ve been conditioned to wait for institutions or leaders to fix what is broken. Yet communities are most often renewed quietly when neighbors check on neighbors, people welcome newcomers, and someone reaches out to the person standing alone.
5. Never lose the ability to wonder.
Books, art, birds, stories and human beings fascinate Theo. His curiosity gives purpose and color to his life. Wonder slows us down reminding us that life is more than the latest outrage, political argument, or unfinished task.
Communities are not built through grand speeches, sweeping legislation, or political victories alone. They’re built up close — through neighbors helping neighbors and ordinary people caring for the corner of the world where they live. This is the Idaho way at its best.
Individually, we won’t solve every national problem or cultural division. But we can notice the cashier, listen to the lonely neighbor, welcome the newcomer, and treat those around us as though they matter — because they do.
And sometimes, changing the world begins with having the courage to look at the small picture.
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Becky Funk is a member of North Idaho Republicans and former Legislative District 4 Republican Chair.