Garden Variety Neurosis

"The wise mentor knows that being aware of what is not known is important in order to begin to learn. To attain true knowledge and wisdom, we must remain open and empty, allowing ideas from other people to rush in. To be empty, to recognize how little we know, is to be abundant."

-Chungliang Al Huang and Jerry Lynch "Mentoring: The TAO of Giving and Receiving"

I am currently reading a book called "Bridges Out of Poverty" by Ruby Payne. There has been some down time at work, so a coworker recommended I read that book in order to have a better understanding of where most of our clients are coming from when they walk through our doors. The book has been very insightful, and I recognize so many of the stories in the case studies presented. With each story I read, I see the face of someone I know, someone I am only just now beginning to understand
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In 1986, my family moved up here from the Detroit area. It was quite a culture shock when I began to realize that the way people lived up here was far different from what I was used to. The lifestyles people lived, the choices they made, the always-open invitation for trouble in their lives was always so baffling to me. I never understood how people could live this way.

Today, I read the quote above, and it moved me very deeply. It reminded me that, though I have learned much, I still have much to learn. It reminded me never to become so confident in what I know that I think I know it all. It reminded me that a man I knew, who had just served 25 years for murder, taught me of my own ignorance after he found a home for a kitten. He thanked me for trusting him with the kitten. I never told him how unsure I had been of his intentions or ability. His heart was far more trusting and gentle than mine.

I'm not sure he ever killed anyone. I'm not sure it even matters. I only remember him for the gift he gave me, of showing me all that I do not know.