Look Closely Enough

I've always heard variety is the spice of life. That may be true but so too is consistency and reliability. For the disadvantaged of this world variety is not an option, but consistency and reliability should be. I remember years ago working at an electrical supply warehouse. And when a large shipment of conduit would come in, I would take the company truck down to Old Ellis Square and pick up day laborers to unload the truck.

These guys were usually down-on-their-luck alcoholics or drug addicts looking to pick up some quick money for a fix. My boss would tell me how many guys to pick up and to make sure to kept the windows up and the doors locked so they wouldn’t try to jump in the cab. Once I got to the square, I'd simply stop and hold up my fingers to indicate how many fellows I needed. It didn't take long for a dozen or more disheveled guys to gather around the truck fighting to either get in the cab or hop in the back.

Once the number of guys the boss wanted were in the back I quickly drove away. No words were ever spoken; they just piled out of the back and went to work unloading the flatbed. Once the trailer was unloaded they lined up to get their paid and scurry away, usually to the nearest package shop. My boss seemed to get a sadistic pleasure from talking about how worthless these people were, doing anything for a fix. Yet the worst kept secret at the warehouse was the fact that the boss himself was a functioning alcoholic; which we all had caught slipping out to his truck for a drink.

So what separates us from the truly down and out? Is it a paycheck maybe two? And what makes us believe we are superior to them in anyway? Too many times we like to hop on our high horses and pass judgement on those that don't agree with us. Even I sadly have to admit I have little tolerance for some individuals that wear their ignorance like a badge of honor. If you look closely enough you usually discover that what separates us from them isn't near as much as what we have in common.

While painting others with a broad brush makes it easier to dismiss their complaints. When looking through the light of compassion our smugness cowers in the corner of truth. The point I want to make here is simple enough. All I ask is that we think before we speak and to listen before we react. Because if there's one universal truth in this world it is, hate only creates more hate, but love creates a whole lot more.