Thursday, August 25, 2016

Discomfort as Wisdom

It had gotten cooler for a while and I'd developed a taste for it. It's been hot the last few days and it really sucks. Weather shifts do awful things to people as they get older. It's one of those things you just don't GET until you reach the age where it's hitting you.

In a way, that's kind of how I feel about hot flashes. When someone explains to you what they're like, it's difficult to understand how intense it can be. Of course, this varies from person to person. In some people, the hot flashes never get that bad. In others, oh man. They can be really hellish.

I appreciate the discomfort. This morning I noticed a harshness to my tone that I really don't want to be a part of who I am as a person. I was being harsh about a situation I will never be in, in fact, can not be in. I don't understand what it's like to be this kind of person so my ideas about it are limited by my experience and imagination. I can go pretty far with my imagination, but I would never be so arrogant to assume I can fully get it.

One of the things I've always talked about with this blog is how our greatest asset as humans is communication. Communication is more than talking, writing, or expressing ourselves. It also involves our willingness to really listen to the experiences of others. And yes, I'll be the first to admit that sometimes I really do not WANT to listen to other groups, especially if I assume they are against my interests. But if I don't make an effort, neither will they. We'll stay deaf to the needs of each other and that will get us nowhere as a culture.

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