No Man is an Island

How many of us have passed a person on the street and looked away, not wanting to connect, not even acknowledging his presence? Instead, you might look at your watch, check you cell phone, busy yourself with adjusting your backpack, or just stare straight ahead. Why do we do this?

When you look at the big picture, you see how ridiculous it is. Afterall, here we are, two intelligent human beings sharing the same small space on this huge planet, at exactly the same time, and yet we act as if the other person doesn’t exist. We can't even say "Hello!".

I was reminded of this a week ago. I was enjoying a break from the desert heat at a beautiful lake in the mountains of Eastern Arizona. While walking up the stairs to the camp store to get an ice cream bar, I passed a gentleman coming down the stairs. I could tell by his manner that he had no intention of connecting with me. Well....I decided not to let that happen.

"Hello" I said. That was all. Just...Hello. He acknowledged my greeting with a smile and went on his way. It isn't much, but I feel it was a way to confirm to him that he is special enough for me to acknowledge his existence.

Just a simple, "Hello".
That's all it took.

How wonderful it is, how pleasant, when brothers live together in harmony! Psalm 133:1

Picture from www.flickr.com/photos/pebaline