On the train, there was a really haggard old man that did not seem to have showered for many days. There was a foul stench coming from his body and I was seated right next to him. At the corner of my right eye, I can see a group of lively youths engrossed in their conversations and laughter, standing in the middle of the door entrance. Sitting opposite me was a lady in her 40s but she seemed to have a crooked spine and one of her bones jutted out of her back. The look on her face suggested that she was not entirely comfortable, but was thankful that she got the seat in the crowded train — that might be a short respite for her knees.
Did you visualise the scene with my felt senses as you were reading? What were the thoughts that ran through your mind? What did you feel in my position?
The old man, the group of youths and the lady in her 40s — we can relate to them to different extents. Even if I did not manage to strike a conversation with them on the train back then, I could notice how we were different as I engaged my senses — sight, smell and hearing.
In that moment, I could feel a gush of thoughts and emotions as I came to terms with these differences. I felt bad for the old man; I felt like I wanted to sit or stand further away from him to avoid smelling the stench; I did not understand why the old man had to live for many days without showering. I felt that the youths were in their own world and oblivious to their surroundings; part of me wanted to find a chance to remind them to be considerate of the needs of people around them, especially those that were trying to enter the train. For the 40-year-old woman, I felt sympathy and I thought of my own mother and grandmother, for they were lucky enough to live freely without the spinal issue that the woman had experienced.
Differences between people exist everywhere and they trigger a variety of emotions and thoughts in us as we perceive these differences. Behind these emotions and thoughts are a complex mechanism of foundational aspirations, values and beliefs that also make ourselves unique from the view of the world.
Let’s not always be quick to respond to these differences in negativity, but instead use these differences to understand what makes them different and what defines us.
Thanks for hearing me out and allowing my voice to also resonate a little in your inner world.
