The Untidy (kind) Man - Perceptions Deceive
Yesterday, after evening service at St. George’s cathedral we had our first youth fellowship after even song. From Church I went as is my usual custom to Thrivanmiyur beach to sit at the edge of the beach feel the fresh breeze, gaze into the dark vast nothingness ahead teaming with live out of which is created so much activity, hear the waves crashing against the sand, smell the dampness in the air and read a book from the light of the floodlights behind me.
I was reading Eric Berne when suddenly I noticed an untidily dressed guy walk unsteadily about. His long hair was ruffled, top few buttons in his shirt were undone, his long grubby beard covered the exposed part of his torso, his lungi was folded up to expose his knees, his feet were bare. I noticed all this and thought to myself that he needed some psychiatric help. I went back to my book.
Suddenly I startled when I saw he was standing diagonally behind me and was staring at me. My mind was racing to ascertain what he was up to. Did he want to snatch my bag and run away? Or was he up to some other mischief. I was bracing myself expecting something unexpected to happen. But he was still, I concluded that he definitely needed psychiatric help and I decided not to mind him and went back to my book.
Seeing my suspicious look on him, he attempted to explain why he was standing there staring at me. His explanation astounded me. I never expected that. What I did not expect was how a man who I thought needed some psychiatric help could have been so sensitive to others needs.
I was sitting at the edge of the beach, close to the waves and reading the book, the flood lights were to my back. If someone were to walk behind me, which people often did, their shadows on my book would be a nuisance.
Now back to the explanation of this guy… He told me that he was waiting to see how he could go past me without his shadow falling on the book I was reading. He had just needed a moment to think how he was going to do that. Saying this he went past my back, I did not see his shadow and continued reading but my mind racing again this time about how wonderfully sensitive he was about my need and how I had come to very wrong inferences about him based on his untidy appearance.
Over the weeks, many well-dressed, civilized, decent folks have gone past me, not even stopping to consider if they were disturbing my reading. Of course, beach is not a place were folks normally read books. But still they didn’t give a damn about others. This guy who I thought was perhaps going to rob me was in fact trying to do as much good as was in his capacity to do for me.
If only, just like this guy, the civilized folks of the world were as considerate in doing as much good as is in their capacity to do, the world would be a better place to live in. In a way he first appeared to be a man to be loathed but that perception was deceptive, he now seems like the ideal human who ought to be emulated, in heart.
I was reading Eric Berne when suddenly I noticed an untidily dressed guy walk unsteadily about. His long hair was ruffled, top few buttons in his shirt were undone, his long grubby beard covered the exposed part of his torso, his lungi was folded up to expose his knees, his feet were bare. I noticed all this and thought to myself that he needed some psychiatric help. I went back to my book.
Suddenly I startled when I saw he was standing diagonally behind me and was staring at me. My mind was racing to ascertain what he was up to. Did he want to snatch my bag and run away? Or was he up to some other mischief. I was bracing myself expecting something unexpected to happen. But he was still, I concluded that he definitely needed psychiatric help and I decided not to mind him and went back to my book.
Seeing my suspicious look on him, he attempted to explain why he was standing there staring at me. His explanation astounded me. I never expected that. What I did not expect was how a man who I thought needed some psychiatric help could have been so sensitive to others needs.
I was sitting at the edge of the beach, close to the waves and reading the book, the flood lights were to my back. If someone were to walk behind me, which people often did, their shadows on my book would be a nuisance.
Now back to the explanation of this guy… He told me that he was waiting to see how he could go past me without his shadow falling on the book I was reading. He had just needed a moment to think how he was going to do that. Saying this he went past my back, I did not see his shadow and continued reading but my mind racing again this time about how wonderfully sensitive he was about my need and how I had come to very wrong inferences about him based on his untidy appearance.
Over the weeks, many well-dressed, civilized, decent folks have gone past me, not even stopping to consider if they were disturbing my reading. Of course, beach is not a place were folks normally read books. But still they didn’t give a damn about others. This guy who I thought was perhaps going to rob me was in fact trying to do as much good as was in his capacity to do for me.
If only, just like this guy, the civilized folks of the world were as considerate in doing as much good as is in their capacity to do, the world would be a better place to live in. In a way he first appeared to be a man to be loathed but that perception was deceptive, he now seems like the ideal human who ought to be emulated, in heart.