One Person At A Time

Word Count: 539





One Person at a time

By Lisa Ann Noe





What kind of person are you? Will you help a neighbor in need and feel good about doing so; or will you look the other way or help and then gripe about it?



What kind of relationship do you have with your family? Are you close or estranged? Do you gossip and talk about co-workers and bosses behind their backs?  No need to lie about it I’m not expecting you to actually answer these questions, I want you to answer them in your own mind.  Think long and hard on the questions and be honest with yourself.  Then answer the question, What kind of person am I?



There are those who go to work every day in dread of seeing a co-worker or boss because you dislike them for some reason.  Examine why you dislike the person and ask if you are being reasonable and giving them a fair chance.  Many times you will find that you have misjudged a situation, or perhaps there are reasons behind a certain behavior you deplore. For the sake of peace try to convince yourself that the person may have personal problems or could be suffering from anxiety/depression, or maybe they are having problems in their marriage or with their kids. There is always a good reason for a person’s behavior.  Keep that in mind and maybe you will “take them with a grain of salt.”



Would you cheat a person of lesser intelligence than you?  If they gave you $20 for an item costing $5 will you give them the correct change. Or if a clerk gives you too much money back when you purchase an item,

Would you give the money back to the clerk?  There are those who would not hesitate to give the money back so the clerk will not get in trouble for coming up short on her shift.  But there are also plenty of unscrupulous people who would take the money and disappear quickly before anyone caught the mistake.

Or there is the person who would steal from a charity or a mentally challenged person.



Would you stop if you saw a lady had a flat tire on the side of a road?

Would you give to a homeless person money, or a blanket or coat?

Or would you look the other way when a panhandler asks for a dollar?

I asked myself these questions and I come to find out I need to take stock in my life.

I need to give more of myself, I am a shut-in virtually and I help people when I’m asked or I donate to the local homeless shelter; furniture, clothes, shoes, food and such. But I want to be the type of person who goes out of my way to help people and to befriend them. Giving of yourself is the biggest gift you can give to anyone. trying to understand what makes people tick, and how you can bring about peace in this world one person at a time.  If we all work together peace would be achievable.  If we only try to understand each other better.  Stop the gossip, “close your mouth and open your heart”.