Tuesday, April 22, 2014

A Tree Grows ... Wherever -- REDUX



Quote:  When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time. – Maya Angelou  

Perspective:  When I first heard this quote over a decade ago, I thought about my romantic relationships.  Recently, I’ve been expanding it to include familial and casual relationships.  It can be telling why someone has a particular demeanor!  

I had an interesting "adventure" on a subway ride from Brooklyn to my home.  Travel time is normally 1 hour 10 minutes.  Unfortunately, there was a broken rail at the penultimate train station and all passengers had to disembark.  In NYC when you’re train is delayed, you can get a block pass (a piece of paper) from the token booth clerk to travel via an alternate route.  The passes and subsequent ride is free.  The token booth clerk refused to give us a block pass.  She said we didn’t need a pass.  A yelling match ensued with the token booth clerk and the 20 riders.  I was thinking, why is she being so rude?  What’s the big deal?  It’s 11 o’clock at night -- give us the freakin’ passes and let us go home!  

Finally a supervisor heard the commotion and came by.  The supervisor told the clerk to go on break immediately.  The supervisor volunteered to distribute the block passes to us.  As the clerk left the booth, I took a good look at her.  I recognized her!!!  We went to the same junior high school!!!  I remember her being a bully.  She was friends with a crowd of other bullies.  I was one grade ahead of her; she never bullied me.  But I always remembered her and her crowd.  You never forget a bully or that attitude.  

At any point I can change my demeanor, my character, my disposition.  I have to want to change then take the action to do it.  Otherwise, I am the unchanged from age 10 to age 17 to age 45 to age 70+. 

Call to Action:  Start singing/read OUT LOUD the lyrics to RESPECT by Aretha Franklin.  What is your definition now?  



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