You are walking down a dark street at night when off in the distance you see two eyes looking at you from behind what looks to be a pile of garbage.  Your heart begins to beat faster, your steps become slower as your brain tries to process what is up ahead.  You stop and the eyes begin moving closer to you.  Your heart is racing now as your mind tries to decide what to do.  Do you run?  Do you stay and investigate?  Before you can even decide the eyes are upon you! You look down and realize it is a dog!  A big scruffy-looking dog!  A dog with big teeth growling at you with its ears back and tail down.  What do you do next?

1. Maybe you are an animal lover. Maybe you were raised on a farm.  Maybe you grew up around dogs.  For you, this is a moment filled with love, compassion, and concern for the dog.  You get down on your knees.  You slowly offer your hand to the dog as you assess the situation.  Maybe the dog is lost?  Maybe the dog is a stray?  What can you do to help this poor animal?
2. Maybe you are not an animal lover.  Maybe you never had a pet.  Maybe when you were very young a neighbors dog attacked you.  Maybe you still have the scar from the stitches on your face as a constant reminder of the brutal attack.  For you, this is a moment filled with absolute fear.  You do not get down on your knees.  Instead, you find a way to flee the situation.  You fear the dog.  You fear for your safety.  All you can think about is how you can get away safely.

Same dark street, the same dog so what is the difference?  The difference is both people have had completely different personal experiences in the past.  Who is reaction is right?  Both reactions are right based on each person’s past experiences. Why is this important?

We are at yet another defining moment in history.  Some people think it is the worst moment in our history.  Others have seen much worst.  Some think we should do things one way.  Others think we should things another way.  Some judge, some fear, and some even bully.  Yet at the end of the day, the truth is there is not one of us who can truly know the experience of another. 

I hope the next time someone says or does something you don’t like, agree with or understand you will think back to this blog and the dog on the dark street.  I hope that maybe instead of “thinking” that they are wrong you will take a step back and say, “I wonder what happened in their life that led them to think that way”?  I hope that next time you are about to tell someone what you think they should or shouldn’t be doing, you will take a step back and ask yourself, “Who am I to tell someone else what their truth is”?  I hope that the next time someone disagrees with you, judges you, or bullies you that you will take a step back and NOT react or defend yourself.  Instead, I hope you will smile and sincerely wish them a good day.