Over the past few days, Megan and I have had some interesting discussions, not only in our experience over the weekend, but also writing the blog post and looking at different angles of how we respond in different situation in public.
A while back I was asked by a group of young disability advocates how I dealt with people that don’t have enough patience to take the time to understand me. My initial response was that I attempt to approach these situations with patience and openness in order to set an example for whoever the person is that I’m speaking with. While this angle tends to work well for me, I realize that this is only one of an infinite number of possibilities. The question that comes to mind most prominently when I contemplate this is, “what response would best honor the humanity of both people in this situation?”
As people we all have the potential to step into a space of greater alignment and connection; but we also have the ability to withdraw from this same space and become trapped in our own conditioning. If we are able to let go of our fears and engrained patterns of behavior we will find a place of expansiveness that in turn creates a profound sense of dignity for you and everyone that you come in contact with. Finding this space is infinitely simple yet we continually forget how to contact it (trust me, I forget all the time!). The initial contact can be made in feeling an exhale, a deep laugh, or even feeling the space around you. When this happens, how does your being shift? Do you feel more alive or present? Do people respond to you differently?
Keep making contact with this feeling and see what develops.
Beautiful writing Barton. Thanks for these thoughts.