I was last week in Los Angeles at Union Station waiting for my train to Gallup, New Mexico. Such a mixture of things. The beauty of the Union Station overwhelms me every time, and I am impressed by the architecture and detail that was put into it. Bright lighting, big windows, delicate ornate walls... just beautiful.
People from all walks of life are sitting here waiting to get to their destination. What stories are behind each person? What is their reason for travel?
There was a piano, and what looked like a homeless person playing some amazing classical music; there was a woman screaming in anger and frustration. There were business people in their suits and folks who look like they just stepped out of bed. Each person had a story, and each person carried their own trauma and joy with them. It is so interesting to watch people and wonder what their life story is like.
Henry David Thoreau stated, "The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation," but every interaction that we have with a human being can change their situation. Maybe we can't fix it, but we can put a dent in the suffering of humanity by just being a kind human being.
The trip to Native country was also eye opening, some of the people I met struggled with alcoholism and depression, some giving up on life. The book "The Body Keeps the Score" would remind us that past trauma is passed down to the children and grandchildren and that what we see today is a loss of identity. Yet, people are resilient, and want to move forward (I will talk about one person next week).
As we encounter people in our own neighborhoods, workplaces, grocery stores, faith communities, or political offices, we need to remember that each person we encounter has a broken heart, a hurting soul, a story they can't imagine sharing with someone else.
You and I get to change people's lives by just having a kind word, a gesture of care, a look of approval.