Saturday, August 20, 2011

Close enough to the middle of San Francisco

I told someone today about the value of listening. I said that the point of this project is to promote compassion through listening. I forgot to mention the value of seeing. I told her that not many people feel listened to. Both she and the man I was speaking to said they felt both listened to. I asked if they felt celebrated. Or, I might have just told them that this is what I try to do. I try to celebrate the people I meet.

Every person I have met has been beauty in the face of ugliness. Has been soft in a world that makes human skin rusty and hard and sharp to the touch. This is who we can be. We can be grace, strength, and compassion.

San Francisco is like that. It can be hard with a stench that stays in your nostrils for far too long. It is loud and crowded and greedy. It is also stillness and light. It is also grace. But you must care enough about it to taste it. You will not notice if you are greedy too.

The more I share moments with strangers, the more acutely aware I become of the value of the people in my life. This lesson is one I carry on my shoulders. They have grown broad and strong from the weight of it. I carry its weight gladly, in the hopes that one day I will approach grace.

No comments:

Post a Comment