Tiny Bald World Changer
I witnessed something quite spectacular in the doctors' surgery a couple of weeks ago.
A be-tattooed biker type fellow, complete with leather jacket and dark 'don't mess with me/ even look at me' glasses, sat on the far corner of the seat nearest the door. Short of waiting in the car park, he couldn't have been further away from the rest of us. A few sniffling patients were exchanging pleasantries, along the lines of 'Haven't we been waiting ages etc?' but no one glanced in the direction of the aforementioned biker. No one that is except a scruffy toddler who had set her heart on him reading her a story.
One by one she brought him the dog-eared story books, crossing the entire width of the waiting room with each one. Fortunately, her mum didn't stop her. Angry Biker was accepting each gift bestowed so generously upon him; he was even smiling. Yes, angry 'don't mess with me biker', who I would have avoided at all costs, turned out to not be so hostile to humanity.
This springs to mind now, after taking my first bus journey with Elias this side of him being aware of the world and his existence in it.
He would not stop grinning at the gentleman next to me - an elderly man who kept his gaze fixed firmly ahead and his frown firmly fixed. It was getting embarrassing. I muttered something about Elias being a starer and meaning to teach him manners when he was older, to which the gentleman responded by telling me about his daughter, his failed marriage, his grand-daughter and his disappointment with living in a city rather than a town. I got off the number 22 with a new awareness of people. Taught by my son, who evidently has not an ounce of judgement in him, I'm starting to understand just how wrong my speed judgements of people are.
Something about being like a child springs to mind....
'He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.' Matthew 18: 2-3
One by one she brought him the dog-eared story books, crossing the entire width of the waiting room with each one. Fortunately, her mum didn't stop her. Angry Biker was accepting each gift bestowed so generously upon him; he was even smiling. Yes, angry 'don't mess with me biker', who I would have avoided at all costs, turned out to not be so hostile to humanity.
This springs to mind now, after taking my first bus journey with Elias this side of him being aware of the world and his existence in it.
He would not stop grinning at the gentleman next to me - an elderly man who kept his gaze fixed firmly ahead and his frown firmly fixed. It was getting embarrassing. I muttered something about Elias being a starer and meaning to teach him manners when he was older, to which the gentleman responded by telling me about his daughter, his failed marriage, his grand-daughter and his disappointment with living in a city rather than a town. I got off the number 22 with a new awareness of people. Taught by my son, who evidently has not an ounce of judgement in him, I'm starting to understand just how wrong my speed judgements of people are.
Something about being like a child springs to mind....
'He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.' Matthew 18: 2-3
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