Little Moments of Reflection

I’ve always been a people watcher. I’m often struck by the uniqueness of people and curious about their lives—how are their lives different from mine, how did they end up where they are. Do they have the same frustrations, fears, loves and anxieties I think about everyday?

Driving to and from work in Cincinnati is a great study in the human experience. In my short five-mile commute I drive through some of the most wealthy and the most impoverished neighborhoods in the city. I’m almost always struck by someone and wonder what about their story.

This morning, it was a haggard homeless man, trotting down the street buddled up in a big coat and toboggan with all his worldly possessions shoved in a small backpack or bundled with a bungee cord with his bed: what looked like a $20 sleeping bag from Wal-mart. That made me think about how incredibly fortunate to have a home, a warm bed and good food to eat everyday, something we all take for granted.

On the way home yesterday, it was a middle-aged man sitting at a bus-stop toting two overstuffed bags of groceries with him on the way home. That made me think about how so many of us—myself included—own several cars and don’t bat an eye at $3.45/gallon gas prices (though we do grumble) and continue driving our cars solo to work today when many people live every day depending on public transportation. (No 9 p.m. grocery runs for them without a lot of preparation.)

The day before that, it was two little kids chasing each other around in the front yard of a run-down house, completely oblivious to the cares of the world. It made me think of all the kids born into bad situations who never have the chance to live carefree as a kid, digging for worms in the mud for their pet duck, eating cheesy macaroni and hamburger, taking dance lessons, swinging on a tire swing or taking their dogs to the lake. (Yes, these are some of my favorite childhood memories!) It made me think about someday adopting a child versus having one.

These little moments take my breath away. I get lost in imaging what it must be like to see the world through that person’s eyes. Sometimes, the weight of those thoughts feels like it will crush me. It makes me look at the stupid little things in my life that are so minor and unimportant, yet cause me to stress.

It’s good to put things in perspective every once in a while. Life is good, but not for everyone. I hope I can do more to make the lives of others better in my lifetime.