Posted in reply to the post by Larissad:
Something happened to me yesterday in downtown Sebastopol that made me very sad.
I was having a rough day to begin with. I've recently returned home (to California) after visiting my family out east and was feeling pretty home-sick as I don't get to see my family very often. On top of that, it was our wedding anniversary and my hubby forgot. (He later remembered and rectified things, but, well...) So, I was feeling pretty low and decided to walk around the Sebastopol Farmers Market and the cute downtown shops to try to lift my spirits. As I was walking down the main street my cell phone rang and it was my mother (back east). I sat down on a public bench and took the call. My mother could tell I was upset and so I poured my heart out to her. Perhaps I was feeling a bit victimized, but I think under the circumstances that was just natural and talking to my mother was helping me feel better anyway. Now for the thing that made me really sad...
As I was sitting on this public bench having this conversation the woman behind the counter of the store closest to the bench came out and closed her door while spitting the words "Whine, whine, whine, victim, victim, victim, martyr, martyr, martyr!" at me.
What struck me most was not her words but how angry this woman
looked at
me. I realize that in order for her to be so ugly to me she must have been feeling pretty ugly on the inside too. I don't know her and she doesn't know me. It took a lot of nerve for her to make such an awful judgment of me without knowing ANYTHING about me. Not to mention the fact that her first reaction to a person in very obvious emotional distress was to chastise and mock that person. Talk about a kick when you're down!
I'm not going to mention the name of the store as that would be continuing the petty circle. However I think it is a perfect time to point out that opportunities for being compassionate towards our fellow humans are presented to us all the time and that even the way we speak to strangers has a long reach.
The store this woman works in/owns
was a store that I used to always be sure to take visiting family and friends to, to buy reminders of their California adventures. Both my Mother and Mother-in-law have purchased items in the past at this store. I will never go back to this store now and will certainly not bring family or friends there either.
I hope this woman reads this and considers her actions more carefully in the future. I also hope that she is feeling better. I know I am.
Namaste.
-Larissa