No One Knows the Weight Our Souls Carry, Loud Thoughts

 

I think along with this quote I want to say something…

People often walk around acting like other people don’t matter. I don’t mean that everyone does this – but this is becoming somewhat of a trend these days (at least I have noticed it here more in the U.S.).   Now, more than ever, people treat others with open prejudice, they no longer worry how they look to others or the harm they do to the person they are blaming.

 

I was hoping that the tolerance we have seen was a sign of good things, but I guess my eyes have been opened to the fact that prejudice was always there (it just wasn’t spoken loudly in public).  Now, even that is changing.  Growing up, we were taught to treat people with courtesy and respect.  These days, I am not certain what people are teaching the next generation, but I do notice a difference.  And now, sadly – what are their actions teaching the next generation (or do they not realize that what we we say, what we do, and how we treat others leaves a lasting impression and essentially is the main vehicle for teaching children what to value)?

 

Nowadays, we have people in politics shoving each other under the bus.  People are being abusive in their language.  People are showing little respect.  Truthfully, it is on both sides of the aisle.  Is it really so hard for them to realize that they are the people brewing this environment we now live in?

 

Of course, it is not only the politicians, but also the voters.  All you have to do is listen and you hear people disrespecting the other side.  People call names, or hurt one another – all in the name of defending that they are on the side that is right.  Has anyone ever bothered to consider…

 

• How can you be on the side that is right if these are the tactics you use to show it?
• The one who raises his voice the loudest is not displaying his correctness, but instead shows he does not have the truth to support his facts.  If he did, he would feel comfort in knowing he is right (whether the other side sees it or not) and realize that at some point in time the truth will be known.
• We all live in the same country.  Everything – and I mean everything that happens here affects us.  Today, it may seem one group is on the upside.  They may be successful and haughty – but at the end of the day, at some point that coin changes hands.  They should remember this.  Working together, valuing one another’s voices are paramount to our success.  Another group may be on the downside.  They may not be heard or paid attention to.  They may be voiceless.  At the end of the day, at some point that coin changes hands.  Keep forging forward, trying to make change, but do it with dignity and decency.  If you were not successful, try to understand the reasons why.  What were your mistakes and what should you do to strive for change?  This is not a game.  This is not “winner takes all.”  This is a country, with people (real people) who suffer at the hands of injustice, prejudice, and greed.  To me, I feel the world needs to grow up a little.  These behaviors we have seen are rather infantile (just ask any mother).  We need to start realizing that what we do, what we say, and even what we ignore has consequences.
• People always try to justify their behavior.  It’s just like when you hear kids are fighting,  “He hit me first!” they will cry.  However, at the end of the day – we are responsible for our own behavior.  How you act and react tells a lot about you as a person (even if you don’t realize that).

What I’ve never been able to understand, is that others don’t realize that other people bleed. Other people feel. Other people struggle.

 

This brings me to something that has been bothering me this week…

I find it unconscionable that United Airlines treated a passenger the way they did. They did not know who he was. They did not know his mental state. They did not know if he had health problems. They did not know if he was suffering from PTSD or anything else. There are so many things that are possible and yet they came at him like none of his rights mattered.

Thing is, we just don’t know what struggles anyone has. That woman pouring us coffee at Starbucks that we were short tempered with could have just found out she had cancer.  That child that we just yelled at to get the heck off our lawn could be contemplating suicide.  That person that just cut us off at the light may have had their mind somewhere else, perhaps because they recently had a death in the family.

We know nothing about the people we meet, and yet we assume so much. We need to be more aware that we don’t know. We need to learn to be more compassionate. And what we should focus more on, is that all people deserve to be respected. Yes, we must walk carefully, talk carefully, because if we want that same respect from others, we have to do it ourselves. This is not something to take lightly.

People today are growing inconsiderate. They look only as far as their own feelings and can’t be bothered about what others may suffer, or think, or feel. I think this is the real change that we need to make today. Without compassion, what good is your heart? And if your company does not act compassionately towards people, I (for one) will not be a customer.

(c) Sumyanna 2017

 

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