It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves. ~Edmund Hillary
Bob Greene wrote a thought-provoking commentary, America on a Collision Course, on CNN.com.
At the height of the Barack Obama-John McCain race last fall, I decided to conduct an experiment as I traveled around the nation.
As I met people, I would ask them which candidate they were for. Then I would request of them:
"Say something good about the other guy."
At first they would think it was a trick question. But that wasn't the intention.
After collecting the remarks, he stated:
People seemed to welcome this exercise -- the refreshing challenge of acknowledging admirable qualities in the politician they disagreed with.
Somehow, it feels that a similar experiment would be doomed to failure now. Even though many citizens tell pollsters that they favor moderation, the needle of public acrimony seems permanently stuck in the red zone.
The article pushed me into thinking about saying something good about people other than politicians we might not agree with.
When I was in elementary school, there was a classic, school yard bully, Margaret, who was intent on making my life miserable. We were both plain, skinny, and poor. She often wore dirty clothes, was not a good student, and didn't have many friends. She tormented me verbally and physically. I didn't run from her, unless I hurled the first insult, and sometimes I won the fight.
Everyday I had to check my back and get ready to fight or run. Most days I could make it home before she had a chance to taunt me. Once I arrived home, I was safe, until the next day. And then, it would start all over again. She died when we were in seventh grade and I went to the funeral home to make sure she was dead.
Everyday I had to check my back and get ready to fight or run. Most days I could make it home before she had a chance to taunt me. Once I arrived home, I was safe, until the next day. And then, it would start all over again. She died when we were in seventh grade and I went to the funeral home to make sure she was dead.
She was the first person to pop into my mind after I read Greene's column. I started thinking, "What could I say that was good about Margaret?" What might have happened, if instead of fighting her, I had befriended her? Why didn't I offer to help her with her school work? Was she sick? Is that why she died early?
Well, she was definitly tenacious. She never let up.
She was a good fighter. She beat me more than I beat her.
She was a good fighter. She beat me more than I beat her.
She was a good teacher. She taught me how to fight. I still don't run from a fight.
She was memorable. I still remember and think about her more than any other classmate from elementary school.
What good can you say about somebody with whom you've had disagreements?
It is easier to forgive an enemy than to forgive a friend. ~William Blake
