Perceptions

Last week I was in a parking lot next to a grocery store.  I waited in the car while my sister ran inside to pick up a couple of things.  I noticed a man sitting on the sidewalk.  He was dirty and looked like a bum.  As I sat there I watched him and became interested in him.  I wondered what his story was and how he came to be here.

I noticed he was crippled and had difficulty moving.  A young woman and man walked up to him and began to visit with him in sign language.  The man's whole countenance changed and he communicated with the couple through sign.  He laughed and talked with them and as he did I started viewing him differently.  Here sat a human being who through his disability was limited in his actions but he was still human with normal wants and needs to interact with others.

As we left the parking lot I felt gratitude for the ability to see things in a new light.  I thought about my initial perceptions and how quickly I judged the man without considering who he really was.  Oh the lessons life has for us.