As I people watched, each image and combination of images created an experience with a range of emotions. From stunned silence to awe, from “really” to a stunned feeling, from intrigue and curiosity to ambivalence and definitive no interest, the act of watching came with an emotional roller coaster ride.
I love this experience. It is as if I am walking through a doorway into the unknown. While safe except for the danger of my own thoughts, each experience is an opportunity to look at life through very different eyes! While much of it plays out in my imagination, when spontaneous conversations present themselves, it is a perfect time to step back and let others take the lead in sharing their stories in a manner and method of they prefer.
Recent stories remind me of lingering truths.
Every individual’s life experience is uniquely her or his. While the experience can and often shares many points with another’s, as I listen to the details, wonderful differences emerge! I have come to appreciate the gift that comes when others are able to freely share with trust. The act of sharing builds a bridge to seeing more in life as well as an opportunity to walk with each other in the best kinds of ways.
In the fullness of every story is a range of highs and lows, celebrations and agony, certainty and doubt. Sometimes, no reacting is a difficult choice. There are moments “when I see the wicked ignore your directions, [that] I’m beside myself with anger.” (Psalm 119.53) When every is at its best, listening without judgement or comparison is the gift passed to the storyteller by those who listen with open hearts and minds.
What one does with a story determines the probability of a second story in the future. When the first story is treated with respect, honor, and compassionate understanding, anything is possible! Equally so, judgement and criticism close the door to the future and likely ensure the full story will never emerge.
I love watching people and listening to their stories that follow.
