Jetliner Posted December 16, 2009 Report Share Posted December 16, 2009 .......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David O Posted December 16, 2009 Report Share Posted December 16, 2009 Good morning John,I remember the old adage: I complained that i had no shoes until I saw a man that had no feet!" I think most of us can empathize with you, and once we've been in pain sometime in our lives and our heart is crushed, we begin to see cracks all around us-- it is this capacity that I think makes us human. My house has never burnt down and I'm most grateful for this, but I've seen my share of pain, not only within myself, but in the lives of many others.The other day I was at store getting coffee and I saw two little boys, around 8-10, scrounging around the store looking for any loose change. They were on their way home from school and knew there would be no food for the night. They picked up 78 cents and stood behind me trying to figure out what 78 cents would buy. I bought my coffee and then bought a small grocery bag of food thay could w/o cooking and as I turned to walk away, I gave them bag of food and left the store. They just stood there, stunned. No one said i word-- i didn't speak and neither could they. As i drove off, they came outside and waved goodbye to me. John, I can only imagine their trauma and like you, seeing them would crush me. You would think that at some point we've seen it all, but for me, the same life tragedy plays out daily in those I see, and my heart is repeatedly pained by it. I feel like I always dance at the edge of some abyss, some pain, something that will someday break. But life somehow continues. Like you, I feel like I'm rambling, only making less sense than you right now-- haven't had coffee yet! Good day to you John and thanks for sharing,David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jetliner Posted December 16, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 16, 2009 .......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IrmaJean Posted December 16, 2009 Report Share Posted December 16, 2009 I think in other's pain and misfortune we can't help but to see a little bit of our own. These realizations remind us of just how fragile and precious life is. With that comes empathy for others and appreciation for all that we do have. I really believe that being aware of potential loss is the key to valuing our everyday existence. In the end, we're all in this together. Sometimes just recognizing this, as John and David O did, can be very reassuring. A little kindness can really go a long way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jetliner Posted December 16, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 16, 2009 .......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David O Posted December 16, 2009 Report Share Posted December 16, 2009 The thoughtfulness of the hotel staff would be something they would treasure their entire life. Interestingly, I'm here on the forum passing it forward... there were many people who cared for me and loved me as a child and only ask that i do the same for those in need-- so I pass their compassion forward as a sign of my gratitude to them.When we first came to the US, we made our living as migrant workers and lived in huge tents at the foot of the fields we worked. We bathed, infrequently, in man-made canals and worked the cotton, grape, onion, garlic, tomato, lettuce and potato fields from West Tx to the San Juaquin Valley of North Central CA. The tent camps remind me of current refugee camps in that we came to the US not only for work, but also for asylum from a violent dictatorship. My 1st break in life came when I was around 14-15 and I had run away from home. Hitchhiking in TX I found a elderly couple who took me in as they drove to their home in Deming NM. After 1 month with them, they passed me on to a farmer who grew apples in the Gila Wilderness and needed some hands to help. The farmer passed me on later to another family who also need help (interestingly, these were all elderly people)-- all of them were kind and gentle people and soon I was on my feet. I have much to be grateful for, and while i think I've led a full and rich life, I still am deeply touched by the pain others live daily.david Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jetliner Posted December 16, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 16, 2009 .......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David O Posted December 16, 2009 Report Share Posted December 16, 2009 Our parents would send us into the desert with water and food sometimes for a day or two, but that lasted only so long and eventually we would have to return and the soldiers would often stay for 2-3 weeks at a time. They had some small adobe and grass hut barracks in our village. When we came back we could see what they had done and then they would turn on us--- what happened is indescribable. I've discussed very small parts of that life here. The interesting thing is that if I had life to live over again, I wouldn't change that or any of it-- it has made me who I am!I'm glad that the insurance company will cover it, but it certainly can never replace the utter trauma of losing your home and the pictures, memories, feeling of safety and oter things that make home a home.Thanks so much for sharing this with us John,David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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