It Goes a Long, Long Way

I read a story that was published by two different blog authors this week. One referenced the other and now I’ve decided to share it with you. Perhaps you'll view this as a writer's laziness, but I would prefer to think that I'm participating in the idea that "a rising tide lifts all boats." 

In both cases though, the story was shared in the same way that people post to Facebook, Twitter, and (probably) most social media platforms. The procedure is simply to copy/paste/send/done or more often, like/click/share/done for those especially spectacular memes that we all love.

The meme, the copied article, or the video might be well worth the time spent. However, I find that I learn very little about the person who shares when this is the standard operating procedure. I am left with my interpretation only and I may have misunderstood the whole point.

We scroll through our feeds in a mindless click/send mode doing much the same and the people paying attention to us learn well, they don’t learn much about us either. And worse, perhaps they have misunderstood us as well.

I am amazed at the lost opportunities to connect with others while using software specifically designed to connect us with others.

I am amazed at the decisions we make (judgments, really) about others based on media-viewed memes sans any form of clarifying explanations.

Just so I do not make the same mistake, my point in sharing this story is to ask that we think and act with kindness towards others. It’s an invitation to promote peace rather than discord by putting aside our negative thoughts, reactions, and judgments. 

That's it. Simple. Concise.

Once you have finished reading the subject story, I will also suggest that it is quite interesting to imagine yourself as each of the characters. Interesting - and just a little bit revealing!

“Each of us must strive to please our neighbors, pursuing their welfare so they will become strong.”  Romans 15:2

The Story

“Lillian Moore shares a quick story that reveals what really motivates people:

"A few months after my husband and I moved to a small Massachusetts town I grumbled to a resident about the poor service at the library, hoping she would repeat my complaints to the librarian. The next time I went to the library, the librarian had set aside two bestsellers for me and a new biography for my husband. What's more, she appeared to be genuinely glad to see me.

Later I reported the miraculous change to my friend. "I suppose you told her how poor we thought the service was?" I asked.

"No," she confessed. "In fact—I hope you don't mind—I told her your husband was amazed at the way she had built up this small-town library, and that you thought she showed unusually good taste in the new books she ordered."

“Sometimes it takes only one act of kindness and caring to change a person’s life.” —Jackie Chan

You are now free to like/click/send/done while wishing I had simply followed the same procedure. Have a great week!