humanity vs. humans

Hi friends,

I have just returned home from a wonderful weekend of celebration. Congratulations to Katie and Kyle Nelson! The Newlyweds!! I took one extra day off of work and I find myself wanting to update this blog with an entry that may have some actual thought-provoking intelligence behind it. There's been something I've been realizing lately, and I'd like to share my thoughts on the subject with all of you. So... without further ado...

Being in the city, and working in a human services type job has really given me a new perspective on life and what I appreciate about what life entails. If that makes any sense. I have slowly but surely come to realize that I have a love and a deep appreciation for humanity. So many times during the day I am nearly moved to tears by something that is beautifully human at it's core. An elderly couple holding hands during a WWII love song, a child giggling at her father's silly faces, the Vietnamese janitor working 14-hour days and and still cracking jokes to make the day brighter for others. I am touched by humanity, by the inherent good in people. Now, I know a lot of people would argue the fact that humans are inherently good... there is, of course, evidence to the contrary. War, violence, fear..these things have been around forever. But at the same time, ordinary people have been helping and serving and loving others since creation itself. It is that inherent humanitarianism that touches my heart and makes me want to do what I do for a living.

With that said, let me point out a concrete fact. Humanity and HUMANS are very, very different. As a whole, I am a people person. I love getting to know others; hearing about their backgrounds, learning their stories. I have a passion for people, but I often get thrown off by those who do not treat others in the same way. You know the people I am talking about... the guy who is awkwardly rude to the checker at the grocery store for no apparent reason, the woman who violently storms out of Hallmark when they don't accept her American Greetings coupons... those people. On a large scale, people are wonderful, mysterious beings, full of life and love, created for a purpose. However, seemingly, on a small scale, people are annoying, rude, short-tempered, self-centered idiots. Now, that's not to say I don't have my fair share of "bad days". Believe me, I do. I'm sure I've acted on the impulse of a short fuse once or twice in my twenty-three years of existence. I just wonder what about these select few (the man at the grocery, the woman at Hallmark...etc) make life so unhappy. What could possibly be so bad and how, in the light of giggling children and romantic grandparents, can you still be so angry?

Anyway, I think I've had a few too many encounters with that guy at the grocery store and it's just been on my mind. Now, I'm off to watch the rest of Dr. Phil and maybe take a nap to the audio wallpaper of the Serendipity DVD I (finally!) found at Blockbuster.

Hope your days are well,
Tempa