From the Editor's Computer
Socrates was sitting outside the gate at Athens
A while later, another traveller approached Socrates and asked him the same question. Socrates asked this traveller too, “What were the people like where you came from?” The traveller proceeded to expound on the good natures and the caring and compassion displayed by the people from his previous place of residence. Socrates smiled, “You will find the people the same here. Welcome.”
It is sad, but true, if you are grumpy don’t be surprised if the people you meet all seem to be grumpy and out of sorts. Fortunately the reverse is also very true...when you smile the world smiles back.
I frequently talk to people who say that we need to do more to help the poor, the exploited, the abused, and the oppressed peoples of this world, and they generally tell me they want to do all they can to help these distant souls. It is true, we should do something to help the less fortunate, and desiring to do so is a very admirable pursuit, BUT...it is absolutely meaningless if you do not live out your convictions right here at home. What I find tragic is that far too many of these people I talk to are at the same ones who ‘can’t be bothered’ to take an extra minute of their time to hold the door open for the person (with arms full of something, of course) following through behind them. They are the same people who ‘can’t be bothered’ to take a couple seconds and say ‘Thank you’ to the person behind the counter who just performed a valuable service for them. They are the same people who ‘can’t be bothered’ to even smile at someone they see on the street, because everyone knows that all the residents around here are merely grumpy, gossipy, complainers.
Did you know, provided you can afford to pay the extensive fees, that there are courses and workshops offered to teach people how to perform random acts of kindness! I’m serious! What is our world coming to when we have to teach adults how to smile and say ‘thank you’ to a bank teller, or to let someone with only 5 items go ahead of you in a check-out line?
Kindness can, and should, happen anywhere and everywhere. We should all be ’bothered’ to do what we can, where we are, to make our small corner of the world a better, happier, kinder place. I challenge you to smile at everyone you see today, tomorrow and the next day. In doing our own little part, the ripples of our actions will then spread out to those around us, and will even be felt by others around the world.
Beth
Read the complete issue of The Chautauqua here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lkPpCBDCeOphEzY38hzmTKI10-hCBvYA/view?usp=sharing
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