Posted by Susan J on December 8, 2003, at 11:21:50
In reply to What I sometimes wish..., posted by Penny on December 8, 2003, at 10:26:48
Hi, Penny.
Wow, I've felt *exactly* the same way.
> I'm not so arrogant as to think that I have *that* much influence over things.<<I can't believe I'm about to quote a TV show.... :-) I don't feel I'm important either. Not really. The only *thing* depending on me is my dog and if I weren't here, my family would make sure she got a good home. But I was watching ER last week when that mean, nasty, one-armed doctor got killed by the helicopter crash (sounds like a soap!), and nobody wanted to go to his memorial service because they all hated him so much. And two doctors were talking afterward, and the one said, "we *will* miss him, even if we don't realize it."
Everyone and I do mean *everyone* is important in this world, keeps it in a certain balance. What if you smiled at someone while getting coffee one morning, or something, and it made that person feel so much better on a day the world was crashing down on them? You probably won't ever see that person again in your life, but you made a difference, you had an impact. We make those types of impacts on people a million times a day.
You *are* important in this world. I miss a guy they called *Scotty* in Laurel in the 70s. He was a blind old man who walked Montgomery Street every day for exercise. I was a kid, never spoke to him, never even got close enough to say hello. Yet his presence made me feel so comforted. He was like clockwork, walking the same time each day, showing that even without sight, which is an unimaginable loss to a kid, this man was *happy.* He smiled at people he passed, said good morning to everyone. He seemed to love life. And there was another old man who walked by my house every so often to go play bagpipes down by the river. They were parallels that meant a lot to me. Made me feel safe. Even though I couldn't put words to those feelings when I was a kid, I *do* know his positive and regular presence in my life was very comforting to me for many years. His regular, smiling, simple walks, and the bagpiper's walk past my house, were a couple of the many things that made up my *world* as a child, and they were positive ones. Tiny little actions, that weren't even directed at me, and yet I hold those memories very fondly.
Those two men *never* knew I existed, yet they made a difference in my life. We *all* do that. *You* do that. You might never know how you've touched people's lives, but I promise you, you have. I know I'd miss you if you stopped posting... :-)
> Spiraling into the Pit...
<<If I could, I'd reach out a hand to stop you from spiraling down. I'm thinking of you, you'll find those things......Susan
poster:Susan J
thread:287673
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20031207/msgs/287690.html