I had just dropped my son off at school, went to the gym, stopped into Tim Horton’s to pick up a coffee and then started home. On my way, I saw in the distance an old man- tattered jacket- walking a little dog. He looked nothing short of homeless- and was waving to every single car that passed. There were like 10 cars ahead of me- and I could tell he wasn’t even paying attention to who was in the cars- just wave after wave to each and every car- until it was my turn and the arm went up in the same manner.
My first impulse was to think “what a filthy, crazy old man” and I didn’t wave back- just shook my head at the randomness of his behavior.
Enter ‘tiny-moment revelation’.
It hit me. He acknowledged my existence. He acknowledged that another person on this big planet was in sight of him- that another human being, in just the very act of passing by him, was worthy of acknowledging their existence. I had this profound sense of respect for him flow over me- like he knew something I didn’t or had achieved some morsel of wisdom that had, until now, eluded me. Of course my next thought was unusual- that the guy is really an angel and God is placing him here to test my awareness of those around us. Angel or not, he taught me that all of us, just by virtue of having been born, breathing and fashioned in God’s image deserve acknowledgement from one another.
I saw that man again today- and I waved.
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Tags: Acknowledgement, Respect
That’s beautiful Reilly. Thank you for that.
I remember in highschool someone coming to speak to us who had a similar moment in the market uptown. She was walking with a young person and kind of had a knee-jerk reaction to a homeless person, the kind that I guess is “typical” of anyone and the young person she was walking with told her “You know that person used to be somebody’s baby? Somebody held and nursed and loved them even if for a short time.”
It reruns in my mind anytime I encounter someone who makes me want to “turn my head away”.
It’s so easy to ignore the things that are difficult for us to accept. We’ll do anything to avoid feeling “sad” even if it means a lack of empathy for those around us… not just people on the street but even co-workers, family and friends…. but by ignoring the sad we miss a lot of the happy and the simple pleasures. Like a wave from a stranger.
Appreciate the comment Catherine. I admit the experience was humbling. We live in a part of the world where ignoring is a skill.. but every once in a while we falter and the reality of it sinks in. Lesson learned for me.