When I saw this, it reminded me of a story about my mother and judging people.
I have always had a very keen interest in religion. It stems
from an inquiring mind and wanting to understand people, their beliefs and
therefore their foundations. I believe this is very important, particularly if
you are engaging with and working with people in different countries and from different
backgrounds and different cultures.
Places of worship (doesn’t really matter what your personal
beliefs are) are also great places to visit if you are looking for some peace
and reflection time. Although I must confess, there have been some churches and
cathedrals I visited (in Spain as example) were I felt very uncomfortable. The
spirits of the bloody past were definitely still hanging around.
There are two locations in and around Sydney which I believe
are ideal places to just visit and contemplate; the Buddhist temple near
Wollongong and the other location is, the Baha’i, Ingleside.
Some years back, I was discussing these places with my
mother. She mentioned she had never visited the Baha’i temple so I agreed to
take her there. When we are arrived the place was deserted; peaceful and
calm. We wandered around the building
and then proceeded to go inside. I was deeply engrossed in thinking and admiring
the architecture and hadn’t noticed my mother had left the building. I went
outside to find her deep in conversation with two bikies. They were the typical bikie stereotypes;
Harley’s, leather riding gear and tats. Bikies have always fascinated me. I think
this is because they are so far removed from my life. By the same token, they
also scare me. So I was somewhat alarmed to see my mother talking with two of
them. Mum looked up, sighted me and bid farewell to the two guys.
As we drove off, I launched into the typical daughter
chastising a ‘naughty’ child routine. Mum was silent for a minute and then she
said “Just a minute young lady, I am your mother, I don’t need a ticking off
from you, thank you.” She went on and asked what I knew about the two men. Naturally
my answer was nothing. She then
proceeded to tell me what happened.
She had left the temple and was enjoying the peace and quiet
in the fresh air. Up rode the two bikies. They got off their bikes and walked
over to her and said “Isn’t this lovely place”. They then proceeded to share with my mum that
they had been collecting toys for underprivileged kids and were lamenting how
tough it is for kids like that. They stopped by the temple to recharge and then
they were off to do some work with a kid’s shelter. At this point I felt a bit
embarrassed. My parents had always taught me and brother and sister not to
judge others. Most importantly, to take the time to get to know someone, before
you form your opinion of them. I deliberately
didn’t just the word judgement. I’m not sure anymore that we have the right to
judge others. It sounds so very superior.
I was very quick to ‘judge’ the bikies by their bike, their
leathers and their tats. It turns out the two men in question weren’t members
of a gang; they were simply two guys who like riding bikes and helping others. The messages my mum left me were these:
- Don’t be so quick to jump to conclusions based on what you see and not what you hear
- Take time to get to know someone
- The guy in the gutter might not be a wino or a tramp, he may just be someone who has fallen on hard times and isn’t coping so well
- Form your opinions on individuals not collectives of people
- Observe and trust your gut instinct
Not a bad list.
