I just read Field Notes on the Compassionate Life – A search for the soul of kindness by Marc Ian Barasch.
At first I was a bit disappointed that this wasn’t a “how to” book. I’m not sure what I expected. How to be compassionate in three easy steps, maybe? Once I got over that I absolutely loved this book. The author interviewed those who are compassionate and people who received compassion in different circumstances ranging from a man who donated his kidney to a prison inmate to an ape colony. His journey leads you to think about how compassion defines you. It definately inspired me to be more compassionate. This is a book that got my mind going in so many different directions that I think I need to go back and read it again in order to sort out my thoughts. Maybe I’ll do a chapter by chapter synopsis of my ideas in order to try to get a coherent entry out of this. Stay tuned!
I’m strangely touched that your first thought about people in wheelchairs was that her pelvis better be broken!
I’m not saying that I live in an area without hunger but I do live in an area without many local social services. No homeless shelters, no food banks that I can find. There is a domestic violence shelter but they don’t allow volunteers for security reasons. Strange community.
I’m guilty of not being compassionate, polite, or reasonable. I try to keep my comments to myself (“if you have nothing nice to say don’t say anything at all”~mothers of the world) but I know I’m not always successful with keeping my facial expressions to myself.
Just the other day I saw a womyn in one of the electric wheelchairs you used. I thought to myself “she better have a broken pelvis” and just stared at her. Then after I beat myself up.
Maybe compassion starts with being compassionate with yourself…
Here is how to be compassionate: 10ve