While I was putting myself through massage school I worked in retail. One day a gentleman came in looking for a part for his car. The store had a small automotive department, but it was more accessories than repair. I told him this and confessed that I did not know what the part was. He could not believe that. I mentioned that I did not own a car, and he looked at me with a touch of disdain. “When I was your age, I knew what (car part) was,” he told me. Now I could have countered by asking him where brachioradialis inserts (the styloid process of the radius, by the by) since that is something that I knew by my age. Instead I smiled and suggested another store where he might find what he was looking for.
I am made up, at least in part, by my experiences, and so was he. I remember this exchange whenever I feel frustrated about missed connections with other people. Thinking about this, and remembering to breathe, helps me stay centered and push past differences with others that could stand between us. Most of all I remember that judging others on what they do not know or what they can not do helps no one. Letting go of these expectations is a great first step coming together as fellow human beings…who happen to have a lot in common.
Amazing insight.