:

Look Deeper…‘

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/s72mqy5jw2qajcm4c4n1o/Feb-20-2024-Look-Deeper-MP4?rlkey=mpw0vnj7msxemhyo5fzj1ql65&dl=0

Why is it that we look at strangers as 2 dimensional? We allow a person’s single mistake, or outward appearance, their struggle, circumstance beyond control, illness, religion, job description, or whatever, completely define them in our eyes? Why do we slam the door so damned quickly?

Oh I know the answer; self preservation. We guard our hearts like thils so that we lessen potential future pain.
But what if, just what if what we are actually doing is making our own lives smaller? What if that other person has something so much more to offer, and it might be just what we need in our own life.

Preface
Allow me to preface the rest of this; I’m not saying we should allow toxicity into our lives. I’m not saying we should overlook indiscretions to the point that we allow bad stuff to overtake us and do us harm.
But 95 % of the time we have far more in common with others than not, and 95% of that which we don’t have in common still isn’t neccesarily “bad”stuff. It may even lead to better things in our lives!

Lessons from Faye and John
My sister Liz and I were so fortunate to have been brought up by parents who taught us to see past the superficial, and knee-jerk judgement, and to give people more than just a momentary chance. They didn’t teach us by their words, Father Knows Best style, but they did so in the way they lived and interacted with others. They would frequently bring home people who would have been considered… well actually, people who mig ht not have been considered in any way at all. Mom and Dad might befriend the young married couple from Iran who ran the stolre on the corner, (durning the whole Iran crisis). If Dad saw one of his students who had come from out of town for his/her education might be struggling to assimilate, he would bend over backward to help them find them an apartment, and sometimes that apartment would be our converted garage apartment.

Raised by “Ne’er Do Wells”

Lee College, where my dad taught American History, was one of the first colleges in Texas to offer college level classes in prisons. Every weekend during the semester he and about 5 other teachers would drive about 3 hours to Huntsville to teach classes to inmates. When the time came for a student/inmate to be released Dad and his cohorts would work with him and his parole officer to help find resources, a place to live, job resources, health care, and Mom would take them to the grocery store and get their fridge and pantry filled up with food. And if housing was an issue for some reason, very often these former inmates would come to live with us for a while. There was a time in my life when ex-cons were almost like nannies to my sister and I, and we would come to think of them as funny, smart, silly, and dear family. And it went beyond beds and eggs and Funyuns. These men would be invited to any and every party, family event, holiday… To this day I can remember almost all of their names; Henry, Bascillio, Danny, Harvey, Harold, John, Hank…

All To Say…

I guess my point is that it’s really easy to say, “I don’t want to be associated with “that” type of person’ because of A-B-C”. But when we block people out based on instant first impressions, we potentially miss so much. We miss their gifts, their humor, their knowledge… And we not only miss the opportunity to be of service to someone, but we miss the chance to connect with someone on a deep, lasting, fulfilling, and even life-changing level. We rob ourselves when we are so quick to judge others.

We need to give people time and space to get to know US, and for us to get to know them, and for each to decide whether the other has a place in each other’s lives. If we don’t, we might miss out on so much good stuff.