November 17, 2013

Stay in Curiosity and Not in Judgement

Last weekend I went to Montreal to visit my son who attends McGill University.  Montreal is home to many different cultures.  It is truly incredible how mixed the population is.  I am not referring to just the different nationalities, but ages and religions too. I suppose it is easier to notice this than most any other place, because around McGill University it is very densely populated, and you walk everywhere.  (Although the traffic is crazy there, most people do not own cars.  They walk).  Thus, one can pass several hundred people by simply going to breakfast.  While my son and I walked, I noticed peoples' expressions, the tone of their voices, and reactions to their surroundings.  

Often times I found myself thinking some of the passersby were angry, frustrated, rushed and how sad to be in a beautiful place with all this hostility.  I mentioned something to my son about this, and his answer made me smile.  He said that most people are not angry, they are thinking about the class they just left and learned something very impactful; they are not frustrated, but they are thinking hard about the best route to take to their destination at this time of the day; they are not rushing, but that Canadians generally walk very fast because it is so COLD out.  I laughed and thought what a great way to look at the world....with possiblities and not negative judgement.  

I saw a woman sittng on a park bench, and she was crying.  I thought how sad for her.  I hope she is ok.  When we were returning home, we passed the woman again, and she was still weeping.  I stopped and asked her if she was ok, and I told her I was sorry she was so sad.  The woman told me that  her son had been in a terrible car accident a year ago and that she was told he would never walk again.  Earlier this morning her son and his wife gave birth to a baby boy (6 pounds 13 ounces). When she got to the hospital, she witnessed her son holding the crying baby while walking up and down the hallway in the hospital.  She was so proud of how hard he had worked to be able to walk again, and now he can run and play with his child.

I jumped to a conclusion that was very far from the truth.  

Stay in curiosity and stay out of judgement.  I never thought of curiosity as a medicine.  It is very healthy for you in so many ways.  

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