Take a Step Back

Take a step back and observe all that is going on around you. We typically interact with hundreds, if not thousands, of people everyday; when we drive our cars through traffic, buy our food from the grocery clerk, have conversations with our friends, or even when we make eye contact with a stranger.  Just as they affect our lives, we affect theirs. Often, one does not think about one’s smaller interactions with others, but in many cases they can have profound effects on oneself or another.  A simple “good morning” may cheer someone up who has had a bad day, kindly letting someone pass you on the street may allow them to make their appointment, or striking up a conversation with a friend may allow you to discover something new.  Everything we do and everything others do affects people in often unseen and mysterious ways.

From my experiences and observances thus far in India, I have come to see how many of these seemingly trivial and minute interactions with people have turned into something much more.  For example, the group and myself have all grown very close to our drivers- a relationship that started with “hello” and “my name is Soren.”  Before long, this relationship blossomed as Ravi, one of our drivers started playing some CD’s he brought.  In return, several of us have played our ipods over the speakers and we have come to share at least 2 hours a day with each other listening to music and sharing stories.  A man who we originally hired for the primary purpose of transportation has become one of our closest friends.

One day as we were getting ready to unlock the front door of the house we eat lunch at, we found a man passed out on the porch.  We were not sure if he was sick, drunk or had another problem, so we tried to wake him to see if he was okay.  We were all very surprised when we were unable to wake him and did not know what we should do.  I decided it would be best to go ask the owner of the house who lived across the street for his advice.  The owner was very upset that this man was there and physically forced him to wake up and leave.  I will never forget the look of sadness and helplessness in that man’s eyes as he looked at all of us strangers; he walked away with his black bag of raw fish that he had been eating while we went inside to eat our overly large lunch.  I have not yet been able to come to a conclusion in my mind about what exactly I think about my interaction with this man, but it has had a profound and long-lasting effect on my life and my experience here in India.

I know that I have been affected in many ways by my smaller interactions with people and I think I too have affected others.  It is important not to ignore or discard our smaller interactions with others because sometimes it is those interactions that have the greatest effect on us.  Just take a step back and observe all that is going on around you and you will see just how important your small interactions with others are.