I think of your Otherness
When I see your hand held out in front of me
Your five fingers extended from your curved palm
In that universal sign that means both
“Here, take this” and
“Please, help me”
I think of your Otherness
When I see you walking on the side of the road
One foot in front of the other
The same way that all babies walk
Since they learned to take their first steps
I think of your Otherness
When you turn your head to smile at me
In that international meaning
That needs no words to say
“Hello, I see you”
I have to think of your Otherness
Otherwise
When I see you,
I would hate myself for looking the other way.
I had written this poem and then posted it really quickly on Sunday night to make the deadline for Patrick’s Pic and a Word Challenge #228 – Otherness. If you read and commented before I was able to totally finish this post, thank you! I hope you get a chance to read this 2nd part of it.
The week the schools closed here because of the pandemic, I had taken the kids to Target to grab a few things. On our way home, at the corner where we had stopped to make a right, we saw a homeless man carrying a sign asking for help, as he went from car to car. Usually, I have a little baggie with some granola bars and a few dollars that I would hand out however, on this day, I didn’t even look at the homeless man, trying to avoid making eye contact with him.
The light turned green and we turned the corner, and my kids asked me why I hadn’t given him anything. Hesitantly, I explained that I was worried about getting the coronavirus and that our safety was more important right now than helping the homeless man. My 9 year old then said, “But he probably doesn’t know about the coronavirus if he’s homeless. He probably doesn’t have a TV or a cell phone to get the news. He just knows that he needs help and we didn’t help him.”
Her astute perception has stayed with me.
Especially as more Americans file for unemployment benefits, the line between Self and Other, “Us Who Have” and “Them Who Have Not”, is blurring. In a lot of ways, we are all “Those Who Used To Have”.
Will we be able to see each other’s similarities now instead of focusing on our differences?
Will we be able to see “The Other” in ourselves?
(c) 2020 iido
Ahhhhh so heartwarming Irma..i remembered my daughters when they were little girls ..they always walk beside me holding my hands so tight..or they walk ahead of me but has to look back always..
It seemed that their lives really depend on us..
Keep safe in there and my prayes for you and your family🤗🤗🤗
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Oh! I love your interpretation! And you’re right – thinking in terms of seeing our children grow up and realize that they are themselves, an “other” and no longer an extension of who you wanted them to be or thought they would be. Thank you for adding another layer to this piece. Prayers and hugs to you and your family as well!
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😊😊😊
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deeply profound … and no story!
take care xx
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This post isn’t fully finished but I wanted to post it because the deadline for the prompt was last night. I’m working on the rest of the post today. Come back and read when you get a chance! ❤️
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thanks will do, about to step out for my fortnightly groceries … check out my “starting letters” post and give me some so I can include you please?
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I adore your loving concept of ‘otherness’ ..💙🌏
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Thank you, Ivor!! ❤️
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Thank you! It is love that brings “others” together!
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Pingback: Choices ~ Pic and a Word Challenge #229 – Pix to Words
The back story really makes it heart wrenching. When we put self before others, the otherness gets pronounced. Hard choices, Irma that leaves us wondering about our own actions. And kids can really help us see the other side. Blessings to them. ❤️
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Thank you, Punam! Yes, kids are so perceptive and without guile. Makes me want to be better just to meet their expectations…
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You are welcome and yes, we always become a wee bit better because of our kids.
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I have done similar……..and then out of the mouths of babes…… 🙂
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Yes, they don’t let you get away with much…
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Wow! Your 9-year-old daughter is perceptive and compassionate. You must be raising her with the right values. Good job, Mom!
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Thank you! She is quite observant and perceptive. Keeps me on my toes!
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Ohh, this is honest and hard-hitting. ❤
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