I am one of a class of people who worry. Of course, everyone worries about something or other. But some of us worry more than others, and with less justification.
Through the course of my daily wanderings, I happened upon a plastic bag. The contents of it do not matter so far as the label upon it: John Doe (A fake name, of course, for the purposes of discretion) Pris #: 1234, Cell: 1, Locker: A. For those who may be so lucky as to not understand the meaning of this bag, it is that which a prisoner receives when they are allowed out of jail, containing all which they possessed at the time of admittance. Where my tendency towards worrying factors in is that I immediately wondered what it was that I would do if dear John returned for his belongings at this moment. I had imagined John would be belligerent, defensive, perhaps at the influence of some look in my eye, such that one gets when faced with danger. I felt that I should appeal to him, attempt to get him on my side. Express how deeply I desire to assume the best of people and defend the honor of those scrutinized for that which they could not control.
I shall clarify this with an example: In my history class, we recently discussed the movements for the removal of controversial statues. Those such as John A. Macdonald. While I will not deny that the racist actions taken by this individual were wrong, I pleaded that we look at them in contest. Macdonald was benevolent in his actions towards indigenous peoples. We must understand that he was European by birthright, and raised in such a society that believed the Indigenous peoples were less than human. Two approaches were taken from this view: That which was exemplified in the US through senseless slaughter, and that of John A. Macdonald, who sought with the purest intentions not to eradicate the "lesser" race, but to raise them to his level such that they could share in his quality of life.
The ideals were good, however very poorly executed.
This was of course, the intended topic of this issue, however I enjoy giving whimsical context to even the formation of my opinions. Regardless, this point is one I feel important to remember in all parts of our lives. Do not assume that actions taken "against" you were intended to do so. Many will tell you that it is best to assume the worst of people, such that they cannot hurt you, but I believe to the contrary. It causes a far deeper pain to condemn an innocent. My father and I had an enlightening conversation the other day. As he sees it, you should not trust people. Pretend to, watch them closely, and when you see the patterns of mistrust, attempt to bait them into revealing it. I had one grand problem with this:
What if you're wrong?
What if you see mistrust where it is not, and you ruin a good thing before it has even begun? Furthermore, we must consider how such treatment may appear to the other person. Do you not also look untrustworthy when you question and scrutinize people in this way?
I do not mean to say that we should trust everyone blindly of course. I choose to think about it differently:
We must be aware.
Do not look for reasons not to trust someone, for if you do, you will certainly find them, even if none exist. But be aware. Do not put yourself in vulnerable positions without considering how much you should trust that person. Not just what reasons they have given for you to not trust them, as you'll find that if you apply that strategy to even those closest to you it will yield results, but also what reasons they have given for you to trust them. Trust must be earned. Do not give it freely, but to not withhold it needlessly. Consider always that even what appears to be suspicious, may have had the best of intentions.
I give you this example: As you walk your dog, you notice someone peering in the windows of a house. Then trying to open the window. Being the responsible citizen that you are, you call the police and tell them that an attempted break-in is occurring. The police show up, and make their arrest. But when they try to get in contact with the homeowner to alert them, no one answers. The homeowner is an elderly man, who days ago fell and could not get back up. Your suspicious would-be thief? His son, wondering why dear old Dad didn't make it to Christmas dinner. Granted, most examples you'll encounter won't be quite so dramatic.
I will reiterate my overarching point: Do not be so quick to assume bad intentions upon the part of others. Perhaps it is a misunderstanding. Perhaps they held the best of intentions. Yes, the world can be scary. But if you allow yourself to believe in the good in people, you will find that it is also full of companionship and joy.
ns 15.158.61.48da2
