Not Everything that Meets the Eye is as it Appears

Have you ever made an assumption about another person, which was not accurate? I imagined that I hadn’t heard from a friend because she was mad at me. Maybe I forgot to call when I said I was going to, or I didn’t respond to her email or something. Later, when I found out the rest of the story, it usually had nothing to do with me. Is it called “cognitive dissonance” that is created when my make-believe story doesn’t match reality?

One evening at dusk, my friend, Jeff, left the restaurant and began a leisurely stroll towards the large, city park. A disheveled-looking man approached him and said his car broke down and that he was stranded and needed $20 for bus fare. Jeff reached in his pocket and gave him a couple of dollars along with a small card with an inspirational quote printed on it. The man shuffled toward a park bench as Jeff began walking back to his hotel. Then Jeff stopped, turned around and began walking back towards the man. When he saw Jeff coming, he slowly stood up with his head down.

The man asked, “Do you want your two dollars back?”

Jeff said, “Yes, I do.”

He handed Jeff the money and asked if he wanted the card back, too. Jeff said he could keep the card, but took the $2 and handed him a $20 bill.

One month later, Jeff received a plain envelope with a $20 bill inside. Jeff then remembered that his address was on the bottom of the motivational card that he handed the man in the park that day.

Now, back to my story. I realized my thinking might not have been accurate about that friend that I hadn’t talked to in six months. I was hesitant to call based on our last interaction. Recently, when I saw her, she called out my name from across the parking lot. I walked towards her and gave her a big hug. When I asked how she was doing she proceeded to tell me that several months ago she had received troubling news about her health. She hadn’t been in communication with anyone while she processed the information. So, it wasn’t about me at all.

For today’s gift, I sent her a note telling her that I was thinking of her. I included one of my framed photos with an inspirational quote, “Some days there won’t be a song in your heart. Sing anyway.”*

These stories remind me of what Rod Serling said, “. . . not everything that meets the eye is as it appears.”

In Giving,

Robin

*Emory Austin NSA Speaker