KIND OF AN EXAMINATION
… exploring my personal operating system
Friday Apr. 18, 2014
Shows up.
Or not.
Reset possible?
Better late than not at all.
What causes kindness to occur?
We all show kindness, sometime.
We CAN be kind.
What is it, why do some people stand out so, in their words, style, and acts of kindness?
Kindness qualities revealed, not from thoughts, but actions, more than outward appearance, words – but beliefs.
Character reflections, aren’t they?
Not suggesting good life cannot be lived without giving, doing and receiving kindnesses – just that I’ve not seen any evidence.
My perspective narrow – just my view, my glimpses.
I see people who have been kind to me, as I witness they are to others.
Could I be like that?
I’m not nasty.
Not running auto-kind either.
I have been kind to many – but certainly others would, quite legitimately, hold opposite views. Not random, like the flip of a coin, but certainly I’m a coin with two sides.
Lots of influences – my dad most recently comes to mind, friends present, friends past, friend passed away – reminders.
Far flung strangers too, reach out, call or visit. Some offer a handshake, or invite me to lunch, offer work, projects, collaboration.
Some just touch an elbow in a crowd.
Kindness seems to run deep.
DNA rooted?
More likely, derived from experiences, kind influences, over time.
Harsh influences too.
Being kind, I suspect, is not an instinctive thing.
Someone being recipient of kindnesses, being around kindness – seeing kindness in action cannot help being influenced, not limited to formative-years – this need not be a lifelong education.
Otherwise, no hope for those of us who’ve been doing a less than stellar job so far.
Mark Kolke
198,560
column written/ published from Calgary
morning walk: 0C/32F, damp snow falling (quite a lot actually) but turned to rain that humidity feels good, streets quiet except for university students loading cars and U-haul’s for journey’s home – otherwise just a hunker-down to read and work kinda day, phones not ringing .. that’s nice
Reader feedback / comments always welcome:
Hi Mark, I hope you are doing okay over there and I hear it has been very wintery! I enjoyed your musing today, sent it on to my son as I thought he would enjoy it as well. Thank you! I have been busy with the usual stuff and had one good day out skiing. Not much this year - I hope you have a good Easter weekend, DL, Invermere, BC
Hi from Namibia. How are you? I caught up on musings last night. Sounds like you are working away at life on a very deep level. You impress me with your ability to examine the world, your world. You take your "friends" on a journey with you and I don't think you really understand how much you impact people. Maybe you do. You are a lovely human being, ANON, Windhoek, Namibia
A significant passing - Gabriel García Márquez has been one of my literary heroes for a very long time. He is now dead, after so many years of brilliant accomplishment. The NYTimes obituary today describes much of what he did and contributed. If you have not read any of the works of Márquez, I very strongly recommend that you do so, BE, Calgary, AB
