maybe

Random thought: why do we automatically think that once people are diagnosed with “disorders” like schizophrenia, they have a “problem” that must be treated? –Ok this s a really weird topic so try to stay with me.—If God made certain people’s minds work differently and allowed them to see or hear things that aren’t attainable by “normal” means, who are we to say it’s wrong? How do we know that we aren’t wrong because we weren’t given the ability to sense other things? Maybe it stems from ancient times when the government had more rule and control over people. Maybe the leaders of that time didn’t want people to see certain things, so in order to keep from it, they labeled those certain people as “crazy” and exiled them so that the rest of society wouldn’t follow them. Maybe over time we have adopted these ideas and with the laws on equal rights, we have learned to treat and medicate these “special” people so that we don’t have to banish them and also so there is no worry of them “leaking information” that shouldn’t be disclosed.

I know that’s a lot of “maybe’s” and “what if’s,” but I thought it might come in handy for those of you who wanted some food for thought.

On that note, here’s another question to ponder: If by law we are required to pull over when there is a cop behind us with his lights on, then why do people never pull over for them in the movies? I was watching CSI the other night and realized that every time there is a high speed chase on TV, stunt drivers are needed because officers have to weave in and out of traffic to catch the criminals. I guess it just wouldn’t be good entertainment to watch them chase people down the road while all the innocent bystanders are pulled over out of courtesy.

That’s all I’ve got for today.

Wait, take that back. Go read some Anais Nin quotes, they’re good! I left you one at the bottom to start off with. Now: that’s all I’ve got for today.

Love always,

Addie

“I am an excitable person who only understands life lyrically, musically, in whom feelings are much stronger as reason. I am so thirsty for the marvelous that only the marvelous has power over me. Anything I cannot transform into something marvelous, I let go. Reality doesn’t impress me. I only believe in intoxication, in ecstasy, and when ordinary life shackles me, I escape in one way or another. No more walls.” –Anais Nin

Plain old covers and Walls

You know what I’ve been thinking lately? It really is hard to judge a book by its cover. Some of the best books ever written have dated, simple, solid color covers binding them together. How are we supposed to judge that when there’s not even a picture to depict something that has to do with the plot? Or what about the books that have subtle “symbols” on the cover that you can’t quite understand until after you’ve read the book? Or the one’s whose cover doesn’t at all match what you envisioned in your head while reading the book? Maybe that’s just how society is evolving. Used to, people didn’t need a certain color or picture on the front of a book to convince them to read it. They read out of sheer enjoyment and curiosity. Not that people don’t still do that, but more and more I think we find ourselves literally judging what we want off of reviews from other people’s opinions or simply by the outward appearance that someone else created in their mind. How do you possibly deem that a self-made decision? Two people can look at the exact same object and see two totally different things. I’m not saying that we shouldn’t take other people’s word into consideration, but we do need to start weaning ourselves from the attitudes that are being fed to us by today’s society.

Ok, that intro led me to the meat of my discussion for today: don’t judge a book, don’t judge a person. There’s an old saying that we’ve all heard, “don’t judge another person until you have walked in their shoes.” As I was sitting in the McDonald’s drive-thru last night at 2:00 am, I never realized that to be more true. For example, do you think that the man working the window dreamed of growing up to work the McDonald’s night shift? Probably not. (I can’t honestly say that it would be a bad job, because I’m sure that it can be very entertaining at times to meet all the “forth-mealers” in their nightly endeavors, and if the man truly loves his job, who am I to say he doesn’t? The man could have been a road kill clean-up staff member for all I care, as long as that’s what truly makes him happy.) But the drive-thru window man didn’t look happy at all. Tiredness had overtaken him and he honestly looked a little sad, which initially could have been mistaken for rudeness, and also really put a damper on my Happy Meal.

Some people have tough lives. I don’t know why I was blessed enough to be dealt a good hand (Lord knows I don’t deserve it), but it always makes me think twice about those who didn’t quite get the “luck of the draw.” Some people are able to overcome their struggles and humble themselves, while others never even try to fight the battle because they feel like they have lost before they ever get started.

So when you run into a person that’s mean, dirty, quite, or simply working a job that you wouldn’t have chosen for yourself, remember, you don ‘t know where they’ve been and what they’ve had to endure. Battles and triumphs make us stronger, but they can also cause walls to be put up. When you judge a person without knowing or taking into consideration their story, you are not taking advantage of a life lesson. We can all learn something from each other.

Next time you’re out, take a moment to “people watch.” You’d be amazed at what you can gain from actually getting a glimpse inside someone’s life instead of taking one quick glance and shutting them out.

What have you learned from your neighbors today?

Love always,

Addie

“Your neighbor’s vision is as true for him as your own vision is true for you.” -Miguel de Unamuno