I was working out at my local YMCA in Toronto. Now, I have a regular gym, but its pool is closed over the holiday season. And since the YMCA has a pool, and an offer for 2 weeks free use, I decided to avail myself of the opportunity and use their pool.
When I was done, it was pretty late, since I'm a night owl and like being up late. They have special procedures for exiting and entering the facility when it's late, as it's open 24 hours. Of course, being new, I had no idea what these procedures were. As I went to the entrance I came in, I saw signs that it was closed. After asking some other users of the gym who had no clue whatsoever, I saw a cleaner, and decided to ask him what the hell I was supposed to do to get out of there!
I posed my question to the cleaner, and he gave me the correct answer. However, what he said after that was pretty sobering, and pretty uplifting at the same time. He went on to say that he was glad that I asked him, because no one ever asked him anything and that for the most part, they ignored him because he was a cleaner. I thought, wow...why would anyone discount his ideas and knowledge just because he was a cleaner? That makes no sense...he works here, he would no. I've never treated people like that, based on their status as to what they do for a living. But then I remembered what happened last week...
I sing, and love doing so. I sing at a church downtown that has a high social justice focus. Thus, there are programs for depression, HIV/Aids, refugees, GLBT people, and anyone else that may have trouble relating to a mainstream church. As I was singing, I noticed what appeared to be a homeless person sitting behind my backpack. I have to admit, I judged a book by its cover. She had a cane, looked rather frail and unkempt, and I totally subscribed to my base instincts--namely, I hope she didn't take my stuff.
I'm not the warmest person in the world. Making small talk is hard for me, and I sometimes have problems being empathic with others. I wouldn't make a great grief counsellor, is what I'm saying. I'm too inwardly focused, and too analytical to be comfortable in dealing with a lot of emotions--especially with strangers.
The service moved me, and I saw several people treat this woman with kindness and warmth. Still, I didn't think I had it in me, and was still dubious and harbouring classist thoughts. As I walked over to get my stuff, this elderly, frail woman, on the outskirts of society thanked me for our singing. With tears in her eyes, she gestured to her cane, she said she used to run marathons, but with bone disease, those days were past.
Now, I walk with limp, and have severe arthritis...and I'm in my 30s. Just bad luck, or the fates, or the will of God. Take your pick. However, when she said that...I took her hand, and with my eyes welling up, I told her I understood. In one brief twinkling of an eye, I was shown that her and I were very much alike, and were bound together.
I realized that despite our different circumstances, our different lives, our ages..that in one way, she and I were the same, and that my arrogance and pride had no place. Who was I to look down on her? Who was I to judge based on appearances? In a church, when I should have been acting like Jesus, I was acting like his persecutors. This nameless woman and I had more in common that I was prepared to admit. I was truly ashamed, and deservedly so.
The two stories are linked, of course. In both cases, I made someone happy. In one case, I did it on my own free will, and on my own volition. In the other, I was taught a very useful life lesson in a church in the process.
My point is that you, dear readers, don't know when or where, or what you will do to make someone's day. It can be the tiniest thing, the most insignificant gesture on your part, that will make someone be happier, so you have to be cognizant of the moments and act on them.
My OTHER point, is obviously about judging people before you know them, and on the most superficial of reasons. In one instance, I didn't do so...and in another, I did, to my deep shame.
Now, as mentioned before, I do go to Church, believe in God, and consider myself a Christian. So when I say "life"...I mean God. Others may be atheists, agnostics, or believe in other religions, or simply believe in fate or karma. All of that notwithstanding...
I believe that life in general has lessons to teach us. Life has a funny way of treating us, and giving us the messages we need to hear. And we have to be careful that we don't ignore the message just because the messenger isn't clothed in the way we like, or is not respectable in the eyes of "society, or doesn't drive the right car.
Wow. Touched on a lot of things today...feel like the entry is a bit scattered. No matter. Sometimes I feel scattered..but please don't judge me on first appearances...:)
When I was done, it was pretty late, since I'm a night owl and like being up late. They have special procedures for exiting and entering the facility when it's late, as it's open 24 hours. Of course, being new, I had no idea what these procedures were. As I went to the entrance I came in, I saw signs that it was closed. After asking some other users of the gym who had no clue whatsoever, I saw a cleaner, and decided to ask him what the hell I was supposed to do to get out of there!
I posed my question to the cleaner, and he gave me the correct answer. However, what he said after that was pretty sobering, and pretty uplifting at the same time. He went on to say that he was glad that I asked him, because no one ever asked him anything and that for the most part, they ignored him because he was a cleaner. I thought, wow...why would anyone discount his ideas and knowledge just because he was a cleaner? That makes no sense...he works here, he would no. I've never treated people like that, based on their status as to what they do for a living. But then I remembered what happened last week...
I sing, and love doing so. I sing at a church downtown that has a high social justice focus. Thus, there are programs for depression, HIV/Aids, refugees, GLBT people, and anyone else that may have trouble relating to a mainstream church. As I was singing, I noticed what appeared to be a homeless person sitting behind my backpack. I have to admit, I judged a book by its cover. She had a cane, looked rather frail and unkempt, and I totally subscribed to my base instincts--namely, I hope she didn't take my stuff.
I'm not the warmest person in the world. Making small talk is hard for me, and I sometimes have problems being empathic with others. I wouldn't make a great grief counsellor, is what I'm saying. I'm too inwardly focused, and too analytical to be comfortable in dealing with a lot of emotions--especially with strangers.
The service moved me, and I saw several people treat this woman with kindness and warmth. Still, I didn't think I had it in me, and was still dubious and harbouring classist thoughts. As I walked over to get my stuff, this elderly, frail woman, on the outskirts of society thanked me for our singing. With tears in her eyes, she gestured to her cane, she said she used to run marathons, but with bone disease, those days were past.
Now, I walk with limp, and have severe arthritis...and I'm in my 30s. Just bad luck, or the fates, or the will of God. Take your pick. However, when she said that...I took her hand, and with my eyes welling up, I told her I understood. In one brief twinkling of an eye, I was shown that her and I were very much alike, and were bound together.
I realized that despite our different circumstances, our different lives, our ages..that in one way, she and I were the same, and that my arrogance and pride had no place. Who was I to look down on her? Who was I to judge based on appearances? In a church, when I should have been acting like Jesus, I was acting like his persecutors. This nameless woman and I had more in common that I was prepared to admit. I was truly ashamed, and deservedly so.
The two stories are linked, of course. In both cases, I made someone happy. In one case, I did it on my own free will, and on my own volition. In the other, I was taught a very useful life lesson in a church in the process.
My point is that you, dear readers, don't know when or where, or what you will do to make someone's day. It can be the tiniest thing, the most insignificant gesture on your part, that will make someone be happier, so you have to be cognizant of the moments and act on them.
My OTHER point, is obviously about judging people before you know them, and on the most superficial of reasons. In one instance, I didn't do so...and in another, I did, to my deep shame.
Now, as mentioned before, I do go to Church, believe in God, and consider myself a Christian. So when I say "life"...I mean God. Others may be atheists, agnostics, or believe in other religions, or simply believe in fate or karma. All of that notwithstanding...
I believe that life in general has lessons to teach us. Life has a funny way of treating us, and giving us the messages we need to hear. And we have to be careful that we don't ignore the message just because the messenger isn't clothed in the way we like, or is not respectable in the eyes of "society, or doesn't drive the right car.
Wow. Touched on a lot of things today...feel like the entry is a bit scattered. No matter. Sometimes I feel scattered..but please don't judge me on first appearances...:)
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