“We can never judge the lives of others, because each person knows only their own pain and renunciation. It's one thing to feel that you are on the right path, but it's another to think that yours is the only path.”- Paulo Coelho (Mystical author, one of Brazil's most successful novelists)
Lately I have been thinking a lot about how I look at other people and how a lot of times you may have no idea what someone could be dealing with in their life. I think that a lot of times we see someone or how they act and instantly judge them and think that we know all about them. In reality, someone could be dealing with something that we have not clue about and that could be the reason they do certain things. A lot of people in the world deal with some serious issues and pain, and sometimes I think we are quick to judge people and think that their is nothing wrong. The truth is, everyone has a "secret" and they have a reason they act the way they do. A person may be full of smiles but in reality be hurting and dying on the inside.
When thinking about this I am reminded of a kid last summer. Our church does a thing that we call Opportunity Camp. Op Camp is a camp that we try to get the kids in our community that would not usually have a chance to go to summer camp, and also to minister to these kids and offer them something that they may not usually get. Our teens at our church were the counselors and the adults did most of the cooking, teaching classes, crafts, and activities. I remember one kid that everyone was afraid of coming to the camp. We had a lot of his teachers warning us and making sure that we understood how much trouble this kid could be. Even us teens were worried about who would get this kid to be one of our campers. Because I don't want to use this kids name I will refer to him as Sam. Sam was known for causing trouble and their were quite a few stories about him doing very intense and disturbing things at school. After we got out to the camp I was informed that I was going to be one of Sam's counselors. At first I was very nervous and scared of what might happen and how I would handle this kid. To tell you the truth having Sam be one of my campers was probably one of the best things that could have happened to me and it opened my eyes to a lot of things. It turns out that Sam really just didn't like being locked up in a classroom and just wanted to be able to run around and be in nature. Sam loved lizards and all types of reptiles. There were several times at camp that we saw a snake, lizard, or frog and Sam wanted to catch it. Sam and I built a relationship really fast and started to have a lot of fun. One night i noticed that something was wrong with Sam and he started to act up a little bit. I took Sam to the side and we had a very good talk trying to figure out what was bothering him. After talking to Sam, I found out that Sam was abused at home by his mother and does not get the attention that he wants and deserves at home. That is why Sam always got in trouble, he did not know any other way to get the attention at home or at school other than him acting up and getting in trouble. Having this happen to me was a very eye -opening experience and made me realize that we are quick to assume that we know all about a kid when in reality it wasn't his fault that he acted the way he did. Sam just wanted the love and attention that every kid wants and didn't know any other way to get it.
In the last year, I have realized that a lot of things happen in peoples lives that I don't know about and probably will never have to encounter. I have come to realize that I am very lucky and need to do my best to try to understand why people act the way they do. I have been trying my best to be there for everyone who needs me and to build a trust with everyone around me. I have a friend who is 17 and has been abused since she was 6. I have known this girl for years and had no idea until this year of what was going on. I have done my best to try to protect her from being abused and she knows that anytime she needs to get away from the house she can call me. I have had to pick her up a few times and it makes me glad knowing that people trust me and I can make a difference in peoples lives. I leave you with a common quote that we hear everyday "Never judge a book by its cover." We never know what kind of stories and trials there might be inside. It might be a mystery, action, or love story but we can never be sure until we open the book up and give it a chance.
This is the first blog I've read of yours and I'm not that surprised, and that isn't a bad thing! :)
ReplyDeleteYou aren't someone to be judged by their cover either...nor am I. I guess you could say that sometimes people see it to be 'easier' to just label people with their first impression, but in reality it gives us a whole lot more incite on how life really is outside of our personal bubbles! I'm so glad to know another person who sees the world without those protective/blocking glasses. The world truly is a scary place and though I've seen things that I never want to see happen to my friends and family, I realize that I haven't even cracked the surface of all the bad things that could happen to people.
I honestly try my best not to judge, even if my elders or people I look up to do. It kills me how much of our world is based upon what we hear on TV or radio and read in magazines... or even things we may hear from our parents. It's hard to hear sometimes, but not everything we hear/read about is right and true. I like to view people and situations as not only what they are and how they are/become, but what they can be. Call me a believer, ignorant child who only sees/knows good in the world, but the truth is I have seen bad things and that's why I work so hard to help people and myself get to where we should be! And I noticed another blog entitled 'Be the change you want to see in this world' if I am saying it correctly. I haven't read it yet, but it goes hand in hand with this subject, even if it seem the complete opposite. I've used this in many conversations I've had with people who ask me how I do everything I do and why I do it. It reminds me how one simple person can do things that may in fact change the world for the better!
Haha wow... I didn't mean for it to be this long. I'm so used to typing out my thoughts freely that I wasn't paying much attention to how much I was saying. I really like your writing and style. It's on topic, but intertwines different stories and situations as examples of what your writing about. It reminds me of how I write on certain topics and blogs.
I want to read more, but I really need to get to sleep...lol