We all have something to learn from each other. No matter who you are, what you do or what you’re about. Even Emmanuel, the homeless man you see pictured, was a source of invaluable information that I could not have ever learnt from anyone else.
Our lives are a complex array of human connections that define our existence. Often random acts of kindness open up rewarding connections with strangers we would not have ever met which allow us to learn so much more. It is these unexpected, unplanned encounters that we tend to remember and recall by appreciating the moment, the person we know nothing about. Without the baggage attached to familiarity, we are forced to redefine what we expect and think we know of people and their circumstances.
Next time you have an opportunity to offer someone a random act of kindness whether it be a helping hand, a smile, a seat on the tram, see if you can throw in a ‘hello’ and short friendly conversation. Who knows what you might learn.