Be sensitive to the feelings and needs of others

Hello mi neighbour,

Take your time! Take my advice. you are also living in a ‘glass house’ – careful how you throw stones! May just miss the intended target and hit yours. “Those who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones” is a popular proverb used to remind us to be careful about how we condemn the imperfections in others, as we’re all in the same boat, albeit on different seats. The phrase describes the fragility and instability of the stone-thrower’s position. Before they know it, their own issues are exposed. Happens every day! When will we learn? Hope we learn soon.

Fault finding and criticisim are quite easy and very popular across the globe. The eight billion plus human beings on the planet are all flawed and will be, as long as we are here! To those who dig ditches for others, here’s wisdom; don’t dig them too deeply, maybe difficult for others to help ‘dig’ you out when you fall into them. Yes, people who dig ditches for others, many times, do fall into them, and are further punished by people’s unwillingness to assist them, claiming that “it serve dem right”. Not quite.

Ours is an imperfect world with lots of imperfect people of whom we are chief. What happens to one is likely to happen to the other. A phrase like “today for me, tomorrow for you” has both negative and positive connotations and applies to all. Unfortunately, and foolishly so, some think that some things only befall some people. Those who live long enough, know otherwise.

While we are busily criticising others, it is important that we pause at intervals and turn the spotlight on ourselves to see if what others are seeing in us, and saying about us, is really what we want them to see and to say. Not that we will necessarily see everything that they see and say. As you know, we all have ‘blind spots’ which often prevent us from seeing all our flaws and faults. See why we must be our “brother’s keeper”?

We do need the eyes and ears of one another to help us along life’s journey. By isolating ourselves from others, against the Master’s design, we are asking for trouble and exposing ourselves to great danger! No man is an island. Neighbours who make the mistake of seeing themselves as

· Independent – self-sufficient

· Successful in every facet of their lives

· In need of help from no one

are really trying to fly high with a defective engine. How suicidal!

The saying, ‘Those who live in glass houses should not throw stones’ is thought to have originated somewhere between the 14th and 17th centuries, when glass was a rare and expensive material, and houses made of glass were extremely fragile. Today it conveys the message that people are fragile, have their own vulnerabilities and weaknesses and should not be attacked by others, lest they themselves be criticised or attacked.

The phrase also

· Cautions people against hypocrisy or self-righteousness.

· Promotes humility, self-awareness and empathy, and encourages people to be sensitive to the feelings and needs of their neighbours

If you are gonna ‘throw stones’, start and end at home. Better yet, whether or not you are living in a glass house, just don’t throw stones, people are already getting some hard knocks …

KINDLY HELP A NEIGHBOUR WITH AN ITEM FROM BELOW

1. Trelawny senior citizen in need of a stove and a bed

2. JW, a blind man from St Mary is requesting help with two doors, 250 blocks and “any other assistance neighbours maybe able to offer at this time: food etc”. His house got damaged during Hurricane Beryl.

To help, please call Silton Townsend @ 876 649-9636 or 876 884-3866; Email: helloneighbour@yahoo.com. Visit hellomineighbourja.blogspot.com. Townsend exclusively manages the collections and distributions mentioned in this column and is neither an employee nor agent of The Gleaner.