A Bit of Goodwill
Before I launch into this tale, ya’ll should know Ron and I had a theory about white pick-up trucks.
We believed the drivers of white pick-ups were a little bit crazier on the roads. We speculated it was ‘cause the vehicles are company trucks and the drivers didn’t feel obligated to be as careful as they would with their own trucks.
Keep in mind, this was complete nonsense. White trucks stand out so we might notice them more. Most likely, all the rest of the drivers on the road (including us) are just as bad. But it was a running household joke, and it made me look askance at drivers of white pick-ups.
And now for my story:
(With a moral – ‘cause I love those! You’ve probably figured that out by now.)
I was sitting in the bank drive-thru today when a beat up old white construction truck pulled into the lane next to mine. (Just the kind I’d watch out for on the road. As soon as I spied it in the rear view mirror, I was giving it the narrow side-eye.)
There was a young bearded fellow sitting in the driver’s seat, wearing the standard flannel jacket. I overheard the teller verifying he wanted $500 cash.
For no particular reason (other than the time of year), it popped in my head this guy was cashing a check to go Christmas shopping.
Despite my skepticism of white truck drivers, it gave me such a nice warm GOOD feeling when I had that thought.
I can remember the days of cashing a paycheck and making plans to spend it on presents for the kids. I always liked the anticipation of that process. For me, the best part of the holidays is knowing you are going to make people happy.
While sitting there at the bank, one other pleasant sensation dawned on me (besides the nostalgia). It was the feeling of being connected to humanity.
It didn’t matter who that fellow was, or who I was, or even whether he was really getting money for presents. Because I thought he was doing something I understood…something that is a shared experience for a decent chunk of folks…I liked him as a person.
Waaaay too often we are missing that connection in life.
It is easy to develop an “us versus them” mentality. Whether it be politics, religion, border disputes, team rivalries, or my car versus the white trucks, humans tend to fall into being divided.
But, we shouldn’t.
Think about it.
We all know people who are struggling to provide for their children. Or folks who are dealing with elderly parents. Or have a relative battling depression. Or a friend overcoming an addiction. Maybe it’s you with these issues. Maybe it’s someone just like you, on the other side.
(Whatever constitutes the other side for you, in your own thinking. Don’t act like there isn’t someone you consider an “other”. We all have them. Maybe you don’t like folks who eat chocolate. Maybe you can’t stand someone wearing a tie. Maybe your “other” is based in something much more serious. These things run deep. We may not even know they are there.)
When you have a flash of connection, of feeling someone is like you, then the sides don’t matter.
Find the connection.
And, even if the differences are legitimately a problem, shared life experiences make us more inclined to say “let’s work it out”.
I guess what I’m saying is find the humanity in others. You’re less likely to demonize ‘em.
Because in that moment, in the bank drive-thru, I liked the dude in the white pick-up truck.
In fact, I haven’t noticed any so-called bad driving since then, white pick-up or otherwise. Kinda funny how that works.
And for goodness sake (almost literally), don’t take all this to mean people are all the same. Please don’t have an attitude of “I take care of me and mine, they can do the same.” Nooooooooo. Recognize hurt and pain when you see it, and help people out. Hurt and disadvantaged people, in particular, need you to see them as fellow human beings.
Ok?
The point is…..
Goodwill to men (and women and children, everyone, everywhere) brings peace on Earth.
Merry Christmas!