Just got home from the movies. I watched The Last Journey, a Swedish documentary about a son who takes his father on a trip to relive their younger years. A very touching film.
The father used to work as a teacher and was deeply loved by his students. In one of the scenes, he watches a video with greetings from them. They talk about how much he meant to them — how he paid attention, really saw and listened to them, no matter who they were or what their story was. A beautiful moment.
It reminded me of a story I once heard about a man in prison. He had written to a local radio station asking for a song to be played. When the DJ introduced it — “And this one goes out to John” — he said it was the first time someone had spoken his name without judgment in their voice.
We can do so much simply by acknowledging the people around us, seeing and listening to them with an open, neutral mind. When we do that, we give them the space to be who they really are — which, more often than not, is very different from their reputation. We get a glimpse of their true selves.