Wednesday 2 September 2009

What to say today

Today is a day off and one of the first ones I have had that has not had big moving in type projects that I should be doing. (not that I did them on the other days off but they were there.) The bathroom has been scrubbed, the kitchen unpacked, the dining room chairs covered, and pictures hung. Hooray. It is so nice to get to move in and make a space home. And I love where we are living. It is good and a lot different to live with one person only instead of the many that I am used to. There other day I got asked if I lived in a different community house. Sure I do. By "community house" though, I think there definition assumes more than two people.

It is a nice sunny day today and I am going to go for a run. Oh the joys of running. The not having to do anything else, the tiredness, the endorphins, the feeling of fit-ness.

The other day I went to a custard shop and didn't have cash and there was a sign that they could not charge a card with anything less than $7. Hmmmm. So the guy asked what I wanted. "Nothing I guess." So he asked what I wanted again and gave me a dish of vanilla custard telling me to pay next time. What a nice interaction and help.

How often are people willing to be put out of place or inconvenienced to help someone else? Not like my custard is a good example of a dire situation, but I sure we can think of enough situations where the help of other people is needed. How willing are the other people? More or less willing if they are strangers to the one who needs help? Probably more willing if it is either a quick help, where the inconvenience is only for a moment, or a major emergency which conscience would not let go. And is help something that should be asked for or freely given?

I like the opening of doors for other people and picking up things that people have dropped. Those are really easy things and make people smile. And I like the interaction with a stranger where there is a smile and maybe a couple of words and you're on your way again.

But what about the times when people really need help? And we are busy and distracted by our own lives. Are we noticing? Are we taking any time to care about the situation, or just moving on by?

I think it depends on the situation and the people involved cause there are plenty of stories of heroics and kind words, and many where there is just need. So which story are we going to be a part of today?

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