Invisible or Unseen?

Today I am grateful for shared conversation and quiet as my family and I enjoyed a backyard fire last evening, and the meal prepared by my son Sam and appreciated by each of us. 

As I joined a few others in watching this video the other evening, it inspired this poem: 

I encourage you to watch the video, titled "We are all Human--Be Kind." It is under 8 minutes long. I caution that neither you nor I let ourselves off the hook either. Whether you have ignored a homeless person or crossed the street to avoid someone who looked unstable--I have done both--it is really in our day-to-day connections that we do the most harm. 

Is there a family member, friend, colleague, or student I ignore when it is convenient for me? When I don't have the energy? Is there a situation I avoid because I feel shame, fear, or because I don't know what to do? Do I take the easy way out?  These are all tough questions, and rigorous honesty reveals that I have fallen short when it comes to remembering our common humanity.

It won't help me to chastise myself for previous shortcomings. It will help me to keep this in the forefront of my attention span: "Every person you will ever meet has infinite worth." (Frank Kemperer). If all we do is acknowledge this and share a moment of presence, it is a good start to healing what ails us. As the man in the video said, a simple hello can make his whole day.

And having our heads buried in a device as we walk around is not a valid excuse to be unseeing, to render others invisible. It has only made it easier for us to isolate and widen the chasms of unworthiness and disconnection. A pause, eye contact, and a smile create generous energy. Both humans leave the encounter better for it. It's a simple start. Let us each strive to begin here.