em·pa·thy ˈempəTHē noun the ability to understand and share the feelings of another. I understood this word completely today. I hated the process that took me there but nonetheless, the lessons continue. I took a school football team to a function today as a field trip. 45 minutes tops. Easy Peasy. Parked the bus right along Route 30 which at 4:00 p.m. in the afternoon is rather busy. And I was all impressed with how I lined up with the curb just so. I had the whole entire block to myself until a blue truck pulled up one slot in front go me so pulling out would be precarious. The team came back and boarded and off I moved, slow and steady around Mr. Blue Truck.…totally negating the whole TAIL SWING issue that can take place in LARGE, 72 passenger school bus. S-C-R-A-P-E went the bus on the side of a humungous tree and I nipped the back end of the bus…clearance lights gone, top right end…DENTED and top side SCRAPED. Can you even begin to imagine the words that were going through my head? Can I even begin to tell you that yesterdays lunch tried to surface? When we ventured into the bus business, can I just tell you that the ONE and ONLY hang up I had with taking this step…AFTER I made the decision to leave my sales business, was the fact that I would have to obtain my CDL and actually drive a 10,000 lb. vehicle….WITH children on board?? So as my high school boys are laughing and booing and oohing and aahhing…and being everything typical teenage boys can be (I even got from the back, You are going to get FIRED), I sat in my seat after quickly and mentally assessing the basics in my head, No one hurt, not severe damage, pride hurt, the boys are REALLY laughing, my husband…oh gosh. And I WAS doing so well, I ALMOST had this driving thing down. And I dreading pulling into the school because I knew that these boys, these wonderful teenage boys, would be relentless in their jeers. Bus lady hit a tree after being PARKED. So one after another, they exited the bus. And one after another they pointed to the back and nudged one another and jeered. But not this one coming. He walked last and slowly up to me and stopped at the door and turned and said, I am really sorry about your bus, and he exited into the crowd. POOF. He was gone. Gosh my heart needed him today. I need someone to not laugh or poke fun later after the game about my misfortune. I needed that kid, whoever he was, to stop at my door way and just say, Hey. That kind of sucks. I am really sorry. Now not ALL the boys were laughing. To be honest, it was just about THREE handfuls. NOT the entire bus. But to me who sat slinking down in her seat as it happened, it was more than enough. And through it I learned the power of empathy. That I SEE you and what you are going through, can suffice. Acknowledgement that I had no part here nor do I know what to do, but I see this is affecting you or hurting you or whatever TO YOU and I am sorry for that. That is empathy. Today helped me remember to practice it. Perhaps we all do.
Posted on: Tue, 21 Oct 2014 01:43:05 +0000
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