I didn’t think of him as being like that. And I didn’t think of her as being rude. Yet in the last week I have heard two comments about people I know that I wonder how the person who made the comment got that impression.
Do these people who don’t like my friends have it all wrong? I don’t know. Perhaps their reasons they feel the way they do are perfectly valid. I might even be having the wool pulled over my eyes by the very people they are talking about. Who know, maybe something has happened in their lives that give them such a different opinion.
You know what? That’s what makes life interesting. If everybody agreed with everything everybody said, things would be very boring.
What is important is to learn how to agree to disagree.
My brother, Barry, is a good example. We grew up with the classic case of sibling rivalry. There are many topics that he and I disagree on. When we get together, we often start discussions that can become quite heated.
All this being said, if I ever needed something, I know I could count on him to help. I hope he feels the same about me.
People are going to have feelings about everything. Having walked a different path than I, chances are they are going to be different than mine. That’s OK. It’s fine for them to have different opinions than I do. I have the right to have my beliefs. You can think I am crazy for them. I can’t tell you how to think. I can only be responsible for how I react.
So, how do I feel about these people who feel that two of my friends are not trustworthy? I accept their opinions and the right to have them. I may not agree with them, but I trust that circumstances will arise where they will see another side of these people they don’t respect.
My life is like a garden. I can choose to sow seeds that produce bitter fruit or sweet fruit. I can leave it unattended and let the weeds run rampant. Or I can maintain it faithfully, learning from the changes of the seasons and making adjustments according to what life throws at me.
However, getting upset at every person who doesn’t agree with me isn’t going to make me happy at all. There are so many people who don’t view things the way I do. Embracing and welcoming these differences will mean a more joyful existence.
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4 comments:
Hi Johnny V...Patti O here..am I a flower or a weed in that garden of yours?..remember, we disagreed a few years ago but you ended up doing what your friends and I asked...persuaded by that "peach" of a wife of yours...and you had a great time.
Hope you are enjoying winter as much as I am...I often wonder, as I slip and slide in the snow, why my parents werent born in FIJI.
Have a great holiday..cant wait to here what Xmas and New Years are like at Riverside.
Patti, you are such a unique plant, beyond definition, really.
When I was writing this, I was thinking a bit about Obama selecting Rick Warren for his inauguration. Some people are not happy with this because of Warren's opinions on gay marriage. There are a lot of people with that same opinion. Applying political levers doesn't solve the issue. There are people on both sides who have spent a lifetime shaping their beliefs. You aren't going to change them. The question becomes how we can create an atmosphere of respect.
I don't agree with everything you believe and vice versa. This isn't abnormal. That being said, what do we do about it? Hate each other? I hope not! Then how do we learn how to have a warm friendship.
This is exactly why I have learned to appreciate people who have different viewpoints than I do, especially if they eventually admit that I am right :-)!
wrong!
Assuming I am still writing to Patti O., where do you feel that I have erred?
Regardless of whom I am writing to, just stating an opinion without any reasoning doesn't lead to understanding, which is part of my point.
I can embrace differences as long as I understand them. However, people on both sides of any issue have to respect the fact that you can't force me to believe your way and I can't force you to believe my way.
At the end of the day, you examine the evidence for something and so do I. We may come to different conclusions. It if were any different, there would only be one political party in any country. There would only be one religion.
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