Helloo0O Ladies
and Gentlemen!
Welcome back to
the Inspire Halton update feed, sending you stories to improve your life and
the lives of those you love. Today, we’re declaring war on stereotypes,
realizing we’ve been programmed to hurt ourselves.
The other day,
I was sitting in the Georgetown Marketplace, the local mall, in one of those comfy leather
chairs they have there. I’d just finished hanging out with a friend but, though
it’d been fun, I was a bit down. Maybe it’d been a rough week, maybe I was just
sad the amusement, for the moment, was over. So, I sat down to write some
poetry.
I was about
half way through my piece when I noticed a kid sitting in the chair opposite
me. He looked like a corpse dressed for school but was by himself, quiet and
looked very tired so I didn’t mind. There’d been more kids, maybe young high schoolers
or middle schoolers around before, but they were gone − thankfully. You know what they say about teens − loud, noisy,
uncaring and rude. Troubles makers.
Or not so thankfully. A verse or two on, a bunch of other kids showed
up − friends of the sleepy one.
Darn.
They started
talking, joking around a bit. Not too bad. Then, predictably, the mall security
guard came by and warned them about sitting on the arms of the chairs (and
sitting on the floor, and making a mess).
Great help for
the budding writer sitting across the carpet.
But then
something happened that surprised me. One kid had a case of Canada Dry ginger ale. While splitting
it with his friends, he mistakenly referred to me as one of them. We both
smiled when he realised his mistake. And then, out of the lining of his soul,
he offered me a can.
For a guy in
the state I was in, it couldn’t have been better timed.
Too often people
fall into the trap of placing stereotypes on themselves and others. They, based
on what a largely ignorant majority think, say something is a certain way. They
argue that if most people think something, then it must run that course because why else would most people be thinking that? Of
course, that argument stands up like a tower of toothpicks on a windy day.
Ignorant people can educate the ignorant with ignorance, creating a commonly
held opinion or perception. Now, don’t get me wrong − there are times when the
majority is right. But if you’ve studied oil paints for ten years and someone
who just started using them tells you what “everyone else” thinks, you might
want to take their advice lightly.
People who look
on teenagers and other age groups a certain way, especially when they aren’t
part of that age group, are making judgements based on nothing. And all that
does is limit your views on the good in humanity and your own capabilities with
people. We’ve been programmed over life to hurt ourselves by harshly
criticizing those who might’ve been friends and allies had we a more open mind. Studying
a person and forming an opinion on them is one thing. Stereotyping people on
rumours is another. Looking at those kids before our encounter in the
marketplace, I would’ve expected the worst of them. If I wanted someone to do a
job, I probably wouldn’t have employed them. To ask advice or help? Heaven no!
But now, I’m
not so sure. I don’t know everything about them. But I do know they have generosity
and care for others in their heart because of their actions.
And I’ll take
that as measure of a person over any made-up story.
Alex H.
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