Awareness: stop, look, listen, feel and care?

It is not unusual for us to get so caught up in meeting our needs, desires, and goals that we lose sight of what is happening around us. From time to time, we may be stopped in our tracks by some unusual event that will cause us to pay attention to what is important. Those lessons can cause "dents" as happened in the following story.

A young and successful executive was traveling down a neighborhood street going a bit too fast in his new Jaguar. He was watching as kids darted out from between parked cars and slowed down when he thought he saw something.

As his car passed, no children appeared. Instead, a rock smashed into the Jag's side door! He slammed on the brakes and spun the Jag back to the spot where the rock had been thrown. He jumped out of the car, grabbed the kid who was standing there and pushed him against a parked car shouting, "What do you think you are doing?"

Building up a head of steam he went on, "That is a new car and the dent from the rock you threw is going to cost a lot of money to repair. Why did you do it?"

"Please sir, please. I'm sorry, I didn't know what else to do," pleaded the youngster. "I threw the rock because no one else would stop..."

Tears were dripping down the boy's chin as he pointed around the parked car. "It's my brother, sir," he said. "He rolled off the curb and fell out of his wheelchair and I can't lift him."

Sobbing, the boy asked the executive, "Would you please help me get him back into his wheelchair, sir? He's hurt and he's too heavy for me."

Moved beyond words, the driver tried to swallow the rapidly swelling lump in his throat. He lifted the young man back into the wheelchair and took out his handkerchief and wiped the scrapes and cuts, checking to see that everything was going to be okay.

"Thank you and may God bless you, sir," the grateful child said to him. The man then watched the little boy push his brother toward their home. It was a long walk back to his Jaguar... a long, slow walk. He never did repair the car door. He kept the dent to remind him not to go through life so fast that someone has to throw a rock at you to get your attention.

((((Author Unknown ))))

Everyday, we have the opportunity to be aware of what is going on around us and to notice who might need our assistance or attention. When we are so focused on ourselves or getting where we are going, it may take a rock to get our attention.

Let's slow down and truly "see" what is around us. How many "dents" do we need before we make it a habit to "stop, look, listen, feel and care?"