An Unexpected Blessing

In November of last year, I underwent major knee surgery. I have been basically under house arrest ever since. I have not been in a grocery store since October! Being isolated takes a heavy toll on a person, especially when they find themselves incapacitated, unable to do basic things for themselves. Simple comforts and exposure to human kindness comes seldom if ever. That is why it makes all the more difference when they do come.

This past year I “met” a friend. We met playing an online, mobile game. We have never actually met in person or even really ‘talked’ only communicated in game, then via text messages. I have only known this person a short time and have never seen them or even heard their voice. They would have been the last person I would expect to help get me through this. That is why it was so surprising and touching when they put together a large care package just for me and shipped it over. This large box was filled with all kinds snacks and things for meals throughout the day. I have many friends and family living close to me but it was this person who I barely know who lives in another state from me who showed me what generosity is. I count myself blessed for the people in my life, especially those that would stand beside me in my difficulty and lend a hand as they are able. I hope I can be so willing and able to show kindness and charity to those in need as I have been shown in my own time of need.

I am, by nature, a rather cynical person. I like to try to believe the best in people but after so long seeing the worst, it can make anyone cynical. This nature, as you can believe, makes it difficult to open up to people. This, understandably makes it difficult to make friends. I make acquaintances well enough, but very few real, close friends. Close friends are the people you can turn to, talk to and rely upon in circumstances good and bad. This experience has led me to expand that small circle and taught me that maybe, if we look for the good in people, we will notice more of it out there in the world, unnoticed.

I grew up in a time on the cusp of change. I saw the shift in the media, the changes in values and the expression of ideas publicly portrayed. I saw the switch from traditional family values and the appearance of light, feel good stories to the current, darker world view, fed and perpetuated by the coverage of the news that saturates our consciousness with stories of crime, greed and corruption to the point where that is all we can see. Violence is glorified, the more shocking, startling the news, the better. The more they can grasp the imaginations, often playing on our fears, the more people tune in. Why else would all the magazines be plastered with scandals? Because that’s what catches our eye, our attention, that’s what sells. Now it seems we live for the next scandal, just waiting for something to caputre our collective consciousness, at least until the next one comes.

This change of values and way of life has shaped our worldview. This has led to widespread disenchantment with humanity in my generation and I, in large part, blame for my cynicism. The rest is just me. Regardless of the reasons, I am a cynic and I view people in general based on this. I know that there are good people in the world, doing good things, we have just been programmed to overlook them. I am convinced that for every story of crime, corruption, greed, scandal, violence, vice or what have you, there are a hundred stories of kindness and goodness, if we just open our eyes to see them.

Do you know, when I initially saw the subject for this, I leapt at the chance for an easy story. I immediately sat down to write but drew a solid blank. I have been surviving solely on the help and goodness of others but I sat there staring at a blank page for much longer than I would like to admit trying to think of one. This is a sad state of affairs. Now I know what you‘re likely thinking, because it was my initial thought too. That I have come to a sense of entitlement, like I deserve to be handed things. I can tell you assuredly that this is not the case. I have worked for what I have and to be where I am. Perhaps the problem is that I have become so focused on my endeavor, and achievements that I overlook the series of small kindnesses that have been in the background, helping to get me to where I am now. I will be trying to keep my eyes open in the future to spot these instances. Maybe if we all sought these kind acts, our worldview would shift with the change of priorities and we would become a culture that celebrated the goodness in mankind.