2 posts tagged “empathy”

Metra Rail Chicago

I am a people person. I watch. I listen. And I project: Trust Me with your deepest darkest secrets. Most importantly: I do not betray that trust.

I rode the train to work when we lived in Chicago. Loved it. I read an amazing amount of books and wrote an amazing amount of ridiculous stories and poems. But, no matter what I was doing, I always found someone wanted to talk. I should say they wanted to be heard. And I heard. I actually listened. I tried to be positive. I even hugged a depressed man who had just found out he was HIV positive and I was the first person he had told. He needed someone that could listen and he picked me. Why?

I wonder about him, and about the man that used to sing me songs on the way to bet on the ponies. I wonder how many people have sit in the seats I sat in and listened to the lonely people. I wonder if stupid girls are still climbing the stairs and sitting on the top wearing short skirts. And now, you are too. But really, those trains taught me that I do project 'trust me'. Not a bad thing. I am more than OK with that, I can work with it. So I ask: Could you? Could you be the person to listen and console? Could you hug a stranger?

Let me know will ya?

Thanks.

Oh and for the record: Happy DOES NOT mean stupid.

Ok, so I am late. Been...busy/depressed/enjoying somethings and deciding which drug I should start ingesting. But, I do this for Bill so here goes:

Summarize your life in a six word memoir, with optional photo illustration. Then tag six others.

If I were to seriously do this I would pick these six:

Woman, love, hope, heal, empathy, give

No sentence structure. Sorry.

Now let me 'splain.

Woman: All those wonderful and terrible things that go along with it. Wife, daughter, friend, Mother. Strength to endure and compassion to nurture.

Love: Unconditionally the best movtivator. Love rules all and cures all woes. Some may argue more has been done in the name of religion. But isn't that another type of love? Love of God? Moving on.

Hope: I have dared to hope for myself and for others. It has taught me perseverance and to not be complacent with it. To work to achieve that which you hope for the most. And, I have found that all I have hope for has become mine.

Heal: Accept the tragedies and continue to live your life with grace and dignity. Do not let despair consume you, heal the emotional wounds and the physical scars will bear witness to your triumph.

Empathy: Remember the emotions of others. Do your best to not cause them harm. Feel how it would feel to be there, at that time, and support those who need it. Do not expect it in return. It will build you into a fine human being.

Give: Replace everything you think you need to make you happy with the things that make others happy. It will return to you. Give to receive. It will show the character of a man, in his ability to be selfless. And by He I mean humankind. All men and women.

I am not naive, I am hopeful. I am hopeful that this world is worthy of the lives I give to it. My children will have an unknown impact on an unknown number of men and women. I must prepare them for that. I must give them the tools to live worthy of the legacy of their forefathers.

And to keep off the grass.