Dooley Noted: 9/12/2013
There is an understanding between people in New York City.
New Yorkers are the stars of their own movies. Everyone is busy, and everyone is trying to make life work. It’s lovely. It’s inspiring.
So, one can’t be surprised to find the flip side of the coin.
New Yorkers pass through each other. They aren’t cold. They just will not give attention unless it is absolutely necessary. It is a survival mechanism for a city that never sleeps and has constant stimuli attempting to throw one off course.
So yesterday, I decided to bring the Midwest to New York City. I let people do their thing. But if they were engaging specifically with me, then I took the engagement seriously.
I laughed with the deli counter employees.
I asked the bodega owner about his day.
I told the barista how much I enjoyed the coffee she provided, and told her I couldn’t wait to come back.
Maybe it was just for a moment, but I saw that glint in their eyes. That glint is the reception of human compassion and engagement.
Maybe we can’t save the world. But I can help the world around me be a better place.
People engaging with me can’t so easily pass through me.
The payback? It made MY day better, with less drifting and more consciousness.
You get to choose the way you react to the world around you. You also choose the stimulus to which others can react.
As always, it’s your call.
– Dr. Kathy Dooley