One person I have drawn inspiration from is a guy who will never be well-known for what he does on a daily basis. Lenny, is a guy who hangs out at a couple of watering holes. He loves to drink chilled chardonnay and hangs out with people he calls friends. What I admire about Lenny, is how unjudgmental he is, and how willing he is to put is arm around someone who has hit rock bottom. I've talked to people who were just short of sticking a gun in their throat, who came to Lenny's watering hole to garner the courage, who were intercepted by Lenny, and were reminded of their value as a human being by Lenny.
Lenny, has many faults, but he has an uncanny ability to understand where people are relative to their morale. When people are at their lowest, he lifts them up with encouraging words. The gal whose husband has left her, can count on Lenny hugging her and telling her how great it is to see such a wonderful looking young lady here at his watering hole.
People, when they've made serious mistakes in their lives and have faced public humiliation and legal problems, can count on Lenny to stand by them in their hour of need. This is a trait I deeply admire, though in IRL I would never admit it because he's a Cowboys fan. But he through his actions, reminds me of my responsibility to treat people as people, despite their faults.
Guys like Lenny are the kinds of people I need to remind me of who I am and what I'm about. The heartless and cold-hearted quest for political power you see from the McCain campaign is stark in it's relation to my bar-hopping, unjudmental friend. People, even those who have suffered mistakes or misfortune matter to Lenny. You read the comments of conservatives who willingly castigate everyone who may have fallen on KSL.com or Desnews.com, and you understand the soul of a conservative. I applaud my friend Lenny, who takes imperfect people and seeks to inspire in them hope, that they still might live honorable lives.
Lenny despite his many flaws is the kind of guy who inspires me to move on and fight the good fight against authoritarianism. Lenny sees value in the least of people. I just hope to be strong enough to follow his example.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
I've always thought my mom was one of the most loving people I knew- doing things to make other people feel good even when she was tired or had other things she was worried about.
Awhile back, we were visiting and my kids wanted to make cookies with her. I knew she was tired, but she did it anyway. She told me that her grandmother always made her feel loved and important, and wanted to make sure her grandkids felt the same way about her.
I think about people like my mom and her grandmother, and your friend Lenny, and wish that more people would strive to be like that, even when it's not the easiest way to be.
Thanks for sharing with that Allie. I often find myself trapped into judging people and marginalizing them for decisions they may have made in the past. I wish I was better at inspiring those who have fallen to turn their lives around and regain their status within our community.
Post a Comment