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"I think this is an egg tree."
This isn't a post about how scarred my childhood was because I was egged on Halloween at the age of 5 when I was trick or treating in south Nashville in my preciou angel costume. (It actually may have been a witch costume, now that I'm verifying details with my mom. I'm sure this difference in memory is symbolic of something. I'll let you decide what).
This is a post about the result of that Halloween.
Namely how- for a longer time than I'd like to admit- I believed that eggs grew on trees.
I know this will probably come as a big surprise, but I was a pretty stubborn and argumentative child. In fact, in the first grade, I was a vehement supporter of the Green Party. I also got into a fight on the playground over the existence of Santa Claus and once snuck back into my classroom during recess to draw a smiley face on the sun of the class mural. (The sun didn't have a face in the first place due to a difference of opinion between, well, the whole class and myself.)
So naturally, the other kids telling me that eggs DIDN'T grow on trees only led to solidify my belief. After all, I had first-hand experience on the receiving end of a mean egg-tree!
I know what you're thinking- LB, this is a cute story, but at almost-halfway-to-50 years old you probably know that eggs don't grow on trees so why don't you make your point already?
Here's my point. In the hundreds or thousands of the things we do each day, any one of them could have a profound impact on someone else; and while it's impossible to know exactly which interactions will have the most impact on someone's life, it is possible to be mindful of the impact that any potential conversation could have.
This seems like an easy concept; but how often do we bark at someone out of frustration, or walk past someone on the street without even acknowledging their existence?
So stop for a minute in your busy life and breathe. Smile at someone. Ask them how they are and actually listen to the answer. Try to make your interactions with others have a positive net effect on the world, however small. You just never know when you're making a difference- positive or negative.
And for the record, it's probably a good idea to avoid throwing eggs at trees and small children.
Namely how- for a longer time than I'd like to admit- I believed that eggs grew on trees.
I know this will probably come as a big surprise, but I was a pretty stubborn and argumentative child. In fact, in the first grade, I was a vehement supporter of the Green Party. I also got into a fight on the playground over the existence of Santa Claus and once snuck back into my classroom during recess to draw a smiley face on the sun of the class mural. (The sun didn't have a face in the first place due to a difference of opinion between, well, the whole class and myself.)I know what you're thinking- LB, this is a cute story, but at almost-halfway-to-50 years old you probably know that eggs don't grow on trees so why don't you make your point already?
Here's my point. In the hundreds or thousands of the things we do each day, any one of them could have a profound impact on someone else; and while it's impossible to know exactly which interactions will have the most impact on someone's life, it is possible to be mindful of the impact that any potential conversation could have.
This seems like an easy concept; but how often do we bark at someone out of frustration, or walk past someone on the street without even acknowledging their existence?
So stop for a minute in your busy life and breathe. Smile at someone. Ask them how they are and actually listen to the answer. Try to make your interactions with others have a positive net effect on the world, however small. You just never know when you're making a difference- positive or negative.
And for the record, it's probably a good idea to avoid throwing eggs at trees and small children.
