The other day this elderly man was escorted into the Student Life office at SCC by a faculty member asking how he could obtain some tickets to the Valentine's Day Concert for him and his wife. We found out that the bookstore was selling them, and I offered to take him there. During the walk he was eager to tell me about his past, and after listening I became interested in hearing more from him. All of his stories revolved around school or women, but they all ended with a moral or lesson. That is why I feel it is so important take every opportunity to fully absorb what people say, open the mind, and shut off the judgment reflex it seems were all born with when listening to others. Of course, I fail to do this all of the time, and I have caught myself doing it, but by becoming aware of it I feel I am improving.
It seems within seconds after someone says something I have an opinion. The problem with that is that I can't ever better myself or change unless I allow my opinions to change. Opinions about homelessness, immigration, global warming, and civil rights are all put upon us by the people and things that we are influenced by.
So anyway, I think it is definitely important to get the "inside view" of the problems we care about. Be a good reporter, go find the source, and understand the problem. Once you believe you have all of the facts, don't let that stop you from getting different sides to the story. Like Sister Helen Prejean, the author of Dead Man Walking experienced when she met the parents of a victim that had been killed by an inmate she was counseling. It didn't stop her from wanting to reform capital punishment laws. It only "broaden(ed) her vision." (Loeb, 1999)
Loeb, P. R. (1999). Soul of a Citizen. New York: St. Martin's Griffin.
Opinions definitely do get in the way of us keeping an open mind. Usually I tend to shy away from opionated people, but I think that sometimes without the opinions you end up not having a mind of your own. Elderly people have some amazing stories to tell. I'm glad that he peaked your interest. We all need to broaden our horizons, look past our noses and look beyond into something greater.
ReplyDeleteIt was awesome of you to help that man find what he was looking for- good role model! I love talking to elderly people. They have so many life experiences that they have learned from and taken something out of. It shows you that you shouldn't regret anything- because everything you have done so far has led you to where you are now and you have learned a lot about yourself, and the world in the process. And I think its not just elderly people. I think that anyone you talk to can give you a good story that you can learn something from. I know that I have heard a lot of them in SLICE and all of the people in the class are our age!
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Dylan, knowing the source of a problem, the root of it, is the best way to be the catalyst for progress! The world is a good place to get lost, mighty complex place. Having some trusted people around can help you ground yourself and learn from their experience too. Old...excuse me, "wise" people are great!
ReplyDeleteHi Dylan,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you. It is easy to quickly and harshly judge people even when their stories have just began and it takes time and practice to listen and fully absorb what people say. I have always been a good listener, listening to people and what they have to say just fascinates me. However, sometimes is really hard to understand where stories are coming from. For example, today in class we were discussing a book called “The Devil’s Highway” and the book is about the illegal immigrants crossing the desert for a chance of a better life in America. One of the speakers mentioned that during their walk the men had to show toughness and she asked why we think they needed to show that in a moment of vulnerability. Most us thought it was to encourage the others, while people that know more about the subject said that if they show weakness, the coyotes will kill them and steal whatever they are caring with them. Basically they need to be and act tough if they want to survive. We also don’t fully understand what makes these people risk their lives and the lives of their kids to become an illegal immigrant in this country. What I’m trying to say is, that it is hard to understand people’s action if we don’t understand the reasons.