This customer of mine working at a restaurant nearby. She came to my workplace many times to buy things. I also recognized her for her cheerful ways, and I liked doing things for her because she was easy to deal with. Our brief encounters usually filled with laughters. Everytime I come to the restaurant to dine, usually she would greet me with smile. One recent day, I came and saw her. She served me as usual. But as I saw her making drinks, she was holding her tears. It was a view I never expected to see. I did hear some voice-raising earlier, but I thought it was how they normally talk. So I assumed the it was between her and her mom exchanging words in their dialect that I could not understand. Her mom is also one of the workers there. So I looked at her again, she was trying hard to hold her tears. I felt a bit sad cos I know her as the cheerful girl. Then I realize something...
What makes me think I know about this girl because of the 5 minutes encounters that we usually have? Even if I sat there with her and chit chat for lets say 30 minutes, there is still some 23 hours and 30 minutes that I totally have no idea about what's going on with her life.
My point is, it goes the same way with everyone we meet briefly. We could see some people everyday, we pass them by, we even greet them and exchange smile, still we practically KNOW NOTHING about them. They could be having a heartbreak, they could be a victim of bully at their workplace, they could have a abusive partner or maybe they are the one who is abusive, so many things that they have to deal with that WE KNOW NOTHING about.
But remember when we have a less favourable encounter with people, we simply conclude that they are just born irritating and lack of manners or maybe we end up feeling bad with ourselves when we expect a better treatment from people and we begin to blame ourselves for being undeserving. Well, if only we consider that we are just a small part from these people's day, we are not even considered in the top 5 matters that bother them the most. Yet sometimes we let those brief encounter ruin our day. Yes you get what I mean. In most cases, how people behave is really ISN'T ABOUT YOU. We don't know about their history, their grief, their traumas, their phobias and so many other things that may not cross our mind at all, cos everyone, including you and me, we meet new people at one stage our of lives and in most cases, we don't have to know everything. Enuff if we can be nice and leave a good memory. But if NOT, please always consider the things that WE DON'T KNOW about them besides our short meeting.
It's the same with us, right? Just like when I just let people think what they like without explaining myself. Just like Why I choose my job. I have people talking behind me, judging me for years, why I choose a job like this when I can be more. They could be talking about how I wasted my qualification, so on and so forth. But little did they know I went through a tough time and it took me years before I made the decision, and all the things I took into considerations. Most importantly, people don't understand HOW I WANT TO LIVE MY LIFE. They may want things differently, but I have long accepted that I'm done with society standard. And I have my clear reasons. I don't wear them on my forehead. That's why, I can say the same that you guys practically KNOW NOTHING about me.
My point here is, each of us have our story of struggles. We don't just born and become this person today. We have wounds, marks, and bruises all over our soul. Maybe if we accept that we Know Nothing, we will treat each other with a little more heart and we will appreciate those smiles even more, and we will judge less because that person that we about to punish is just coping with a emotional war that we know nothing about. Just don't make it harder for each other. Appreciate every person that we come across, respect them knowing that they are trying to survive storms everyday, just like us.
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