Mike’s Mellow Moment – 07 May 2017

On my way to work each morning I meet a homeless man who sits
with a large placard that shouts:

‘Smile – everything will be alright’.

I’ve chatted with him a few times and he always seems upbeat and optimistic. It reminded me of something that I posted on here a year or so:

‘Remember that the things you take for granted, other people are praying for’.

As our country – and indeed the world – seems to be shifting geo-politically it’s good to take stock for a moment and think about the direction we’re going in. The local elections this week showed yet again a shift which may or may not be replicated in the General Election shortly. It’s time for us all to think long and hard about where we mark our ballot paper as our decision will have an impact on this country for some time to come.

During this, my first week at the World Service, amongst other projects, I was pleased to expose yet more scams on unsuspecting bank customers and to speak to an ex Greek finance minister about the way we’re going. His attitude shocked me. We were trying to get him on air to a potential audience of millions yet when I asked him to answer a few questions for the listeners he said: ‘I haven’t time for this’. His manner continued to be abrupt, some may politely say succinct. I could’ve been offended by his brusqueness but it’s the way we react to people that determines our day and indeed our future.

There’s a great book called ‘What you think about me is none of my business’ by by Terry Cole-Whittaker. It doesn’t matter that people may be rude, condescending or insulting. Their behaviour doesn’t have to affect how we feel or how we treat people.

Compare and contrast the ill mannered, yet highly ‘powerful’ successful and rich ex-finance minister alongside the broke, destitute and homeless man I meet every morning. He prays for the things that man – and we – take for granted, yet he smiles and hopes that other people have a great day. He may have been treated abysmally in the past but he’s reacted by behaving in exactly the opposite way to which his aggressors attacked him.

There’s a message there for us all as we head into the week ahead and creep towards that day soon when we mark our ballot paper.

Let’s chill….

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