What If You Were A Part Of The Village?
On a recent trip to Chicago, I decided to become “with it” and download the Uber app. I’d heard such great reviews I thought, why not? What I liked most about it was that the price is agreed upon from the very beginning. No cash is exchanged and the app lets the passenger know the name of the driver, the make of the vehicle and the license plate number. It was fun to talk to the drivers since for most, Uber isn’t their main job.
During the Uber ride from the airport in Chicago to the hotel room near Michigan Avenue, I started a conversation with our driver. He was from Jerusalem living in Chicago with his wife completing college work. He enjoyed body building and worked part-time in a family-run convenience store. As we approached our destination, our driver realized he was in the wrong turn lane so signaled to change lanes. A taxi driver in the other lane decided he wasn’t happy with my driver and laid on his horn no less than 30 seconds. I was thinking, “Welcome to Chicago.” The taxi driver then swerved toward the vehicle I was riding in and the mid-aged, out-of-shape man in the driver’s seat began to swear and give gestures to my driver. For what reason, I will never understand why people act in such inappropriate ways.
Maybe you have heard it takes a village to raise a child. I would like to take that a little further. I think it takes a village to get through life. We live in a fast-paced society where we interact with many people at work, school, home, shopping, and church to name a few. We encounter people of different races, ages, beliefs, and backgrounds. No one knows what that particular person is going through or if they are simply having a bad day. Some folks walk around grumpy, angry, or bitter with life. Others have a more positive outlook. Even so, what should our response be?
What call do you make when an encounter brings you face-to-face with an angry person? How do you react? Is it in love or do you let the other person steal your joy and become angry too? Does it come down to the values that were set for you as a child? Parents have a big responsibility in demonstrating appropriate behavior when adversity strikes. People/children will listen to what you do more than what you say. Parents are human too and we all make our share of mistakes, but it’s important to set the model and discuss the scenarios that occur in life.
With that, the village I’m speaking of are those people we encounter anywhere or anytime. Maybe that person who is racing to pass you just got a phone call that their child was in an accident. What if were you? Each of us carry burdens and stresses of this world. Sometimes we fall down and we need grace and encouragement from others to get back up again.
How would the day look if the people you met wore a smile instead of a frown? What if the people you see each day said “hello” and stopped to look you in the eye? Maybe our days would be a bit brighter. Perhaps you can brighten someone’s day by smiling, saying “hello” and looking them in the eye.
health-bite: Be the village
*The photo above is a village that came together a few years ago. My daughter and I were able to participate in the MOMs Project that helps less fortunate individuals with their dental needs.
