It’s sometimes difficult to see how our actions can affect others, how one nasty word or a single thoughtless action can—and often does—influence the people around its recipient. It tends to ripple outward like a nasty blanket snapped free of its accumulated winter cooties and lands on unsuspecting passers-by. I was upset when I left the house today, and my own anger quickly found its target in some kid standing at the entrance of the corner market. I’ve seen him there before and he’s asked for handouts before, but today I was irritated and he—maybe eleven or twelve years old—knew I was pissed the second he opened his mouth to pose the inevitable question. “Hey,” he said, “do you have a dollar?” “Kid,” I said, “do your parents know you’re out here begging? If you see me again,” I warned, “do NOT ask me for money!” When I came out of the store he was gone. Which is understandable, because my appearance and public manner can be a bit . . . well, scary. What strangers DON’T know is that, contrary to appearances, I’m a harmless bookworm. Anyway, I then went to the library to pick up my Dan Brown novel and I asked a woman who was standing near the waiting line if she was in fact in line. She said to me (as though I were mentally challenged): “If I were in line I’d be standing there,” and she pointed to the four little green feet on the carpet indicating where the line begins. Rather than saying something nasty to her—and I really wanted to—I replied: “Very well.” I then stepped in line and waited—stewing all the while. It was only as I walked out of the library that I realized what was bothering me, at which point the first paragraph of this ramble session entered my head. I thought my entire day was going to go like that, so when I finally arrived at my destination, fully expecting my crappy day to continue, I ran into two people who lifted my spirits. The first was a guy I’ve spoken to before. We’ve even traded books on a few occasions. But, man, the story he told me today about his tragic time spent in Iraq quickly made me feel like a jerk for obsessing over my own petty grievances. The second was a woman I hadn’t seen in a long while and about whom I raved right here on Facebook over a year ago. Seeing her, of course, was the bigger treat and really lightened my mood. By the time I left the meeting hall I felt great. But THIS time someone else’s words or actions affected me in a way that made me feel appreciated. It didn’t escape my notice either that in less than two hours I was brought full circle. I guess the point of my blathering is: be good to each other, because the momentum of a harsh word or a kind one carries quite a long way.
Posted on: Thu, 20 Jun 2013 00:00:08 +0000
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