Wow, I admire your wife on so many levels, especially her ability to choose who she wants to 'be'. I guess I'm an anomaly. I can tolerate things affecting myself, more readily than affecting others. Something from your article struck me. Once going to work on a crowded train, I was sitting on a bench seat when a very pregnant lady squeezed onto the train and into where she could hold onto a pole. There were multiple' gentlemen' seated and it became obvious none were going to stand. I indicated for he to come and take my seat. I had to get up and back around to let her in. Suddenly the look on her face changed from a smile to shock. When I looked back, a bloke had already sat in the seat and opened his newspaper. Now when I go quiet I'm dangerous. I leant over him and pushed down the front of the newspaper...'We can do this the easy way or the hard way sunshine, now get out of the seat and give it to the pregnant lady'. Whatever protest he might have planned died on his lips when he saw my expression. Instinct told him I meant every word. I HATE injustice or the misuse of power...thank God I don't live in America!
PS I probably would have explained the situation to the lady in the next cubicle and asked might she turn down the volume a little...if not...gone very quiet!
Thanks for the insightful comment, Bev. I appreciated it very much.
Yes, my wife is pretty amazing, especially considering her current "situation."
Also, huge kudos to you re the seat on the train. Total R.E.S.P.E.C.T. to you. But how sad that people like that man with the newspaper are becoming the norm. Just as sad that fewer people will stand up for justice - they'd rather leave it to others while they video the potentially dangerous exchange for their socials ... yet, how unsocial is that?
You’re absolutely right, Mike. We can’t drop down to the low standards of others. Sometimes easier said than done and we sometimes slip. But we’re human after all.
Another angle to look at things is, were the intentions of the other people truly malicious? Who knows what they’re going through themselves and sometimes we are too quick to judge. Either way, we do indeed have the power to choose our own responses.
An awesome comment, Luis, filled with great wisdom. Thank you so much for taking the time to post it.
I'm sure the woman getting chemo next to my wife did not mean to be inconsiderate of others in the same situation. Yet, I think it demonstrates how little our society models considering others & how much we are taught to put ourselves first.
My greatest inspiration in life (not my wife, though she is pretty inspirational) said that we should always treat others as we would like them to treat us - something my wife models admirably most of the time.
Despite her hardship, I am 100% sure that cancer fighter in the cubicle next door knew she would not like others treat her with disrespect. I suspect that the problem was she did not even think of that, she was so caught up in her own pain & suffering. Totally understandable. But watching my wife in this, no one has to be selfish to the point of disrespecting others. That is always a choice, whether conscious or not.
I just hope I can be as gracious & kind as my wife in such circumstances.
It takes a lifetime to build integrity but a moment to break it. So yes, don't reduce yourself to the same selfish level. I'm enjoying your posts my friend, please don't stop. Zenan the Wonder-dog has much to answer for. I'm glad he re--introduced us.
Thanks so much for your kind words, Jayne. You don't know how much comments like that mean. Let's just go with "indescribable."
Also, thanks for the love to my amazing wife. She is pretty "amazement." How good to know that one day you'll meet her, whether here, there, or in the air.
And next week, I'm sure the tail of those 2 roguish Labradoodles will be very different to Xenon the wonder dog. I hope you enjoy it.
Wow, I admire your wife on so many levels, especially her ability to choose who she wants to 'be'. I guess I'm an anomaly. I can tolerate things affecting myself, more readily than affecting others. Something from your article struck me. Once going to work on a crowded train, I was sitting on a bench seat when a very pregnant lady squeezed onto the train and into where she could hold onto a pole. There were multiple' gentlemen' seated and it became obvious none were going to stand. I indicated for he to come and take my seat. I had to get up and back around to let her in. Suddenly the look on her face changed from a smile to shock. When I looked back, a bloke had already sat in the seat and opened his newspaper. Now when I go quiet I'm dangerous. I leant over him and pushed down the front of the newspaper...'We can do this the easy way or the hard way sunshine, now get out of the seat and give it to the pregnant lady'. Whatever protest he might have planned died on his lips when he saw my expression. Instinct told him I meant every word. I HATE injustice or the misuse of power...thank God I don't live in America!
PS I probably would have explained the situation to the lady in the next cubicle and asked might she turn down the volume a little...if not...gone very quiet!
Thanks for the insightful comment, Bev. I appreciated it very much.
Yes, my wife is pretty amazing, especially considering her current "situation."
Also, huge kudos to you re the seat on the train. Total R.E.S.P.E.C.T. to you. But how sad that people like that man with the newspaper are becoming the norm. Just as sad that fewer people will stand up for justice - they'd rather leave it to others while they video the potentially dangerous exchange for their socials ... yet, how unsocial is that?
You’re absolutely right, Mike. We can’t drop down to the low standards of others. Sometimes easier said than done and we sometimes slip. But we’re human after all.
Another angle to look at things is, were the intentions of the other people truly malicious? Who knows what they’re going through themselves and sometimes we are too quick to judge. Either way, we do indeed have the power to choose our own responses.
An awesome comment, Luis, filled with great wisdom. Thank you so much for taking the time to post it.
I'm sure the woman getting chemo next to my wife did not mean to be inconsiderate of others in the same situation. Yet, I think it demonstrates how little our society models considering others & how much we are taught to put ourselves first.
My greatest inspiration in life (not my wife, though she is pretty inspirational) said that we should always treat others as we would like them to treat us - something my wife models admirably most of the time.
Despite her hardship, I am 100% sure that cancer fighter in the cubicle next door knew she would not like others treat her with disrespect. I suspect that the problem was she did not even think of that, she was so caught up in her own pain & suffering. Totally understandable. But watching my wife in this, no one has to be selfish to the point of disrespecting others. That is always a choice, whether conscious or not.
I just hope I can be as gracious & kind as my wife in such circumstances.
It takes a lifetime to build integrity but a moment to break it. So yes, don't reduce yourself to the same selfish level. I'm enjoying your posts my friend, please don't stop. Zenan the Wonder-dog has much to answer for. I'm glad he re--introduced us.
Love to your beautiful and adored woman,
J
Thanks so much for your kind words, Jayne. You don't know how much comments like that mean. Let's just go with "indescribable."
Also, thanks for the love to my amazing wife. She is pretty "amazement." How good to know that one day you'll meet her, whether here, there, or in the air.
And next week, I'm sure the tail of those 2 roguish Labradoodles will be very different to Xenon the wonder dog. I hope you enjoy it.