Today’s entry comes initially from Linda Stowe. It is another in the series from our Wordle Words. Once again, she weaves personal experience into a place of broader understanding.
It is small but mighty.
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Flea Market Truths by Linda Stowe
I have never been to a flea market and, truth be told, I am a bit skeptical about people who would spend time and money sorting through what is likely junk. I’m not that kind of chump. Today I thought about the hypocrisy of this as I was scrolling through YouTube cooking videos. At the time I was watching an Asian woman making gruel, which she made sound appealing. Gruel is basically thickened flour and water, so the key is to add flavoring such as cinnamon and sugar. And lots of it. Next up was a video on how to cook skunk, which they claimed was routinely consumed by certain Native American tribes. I took a hard pass on the skunk and began to wonder whether YouTube is little more than a video flea market.
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Polly here again.
It’s all relative, isn’t it? I have noticed these same revelations. There have been times when I’ve found myself “looking down” on someone else’s behavior. Perhaps a person is collecting a bunch of “somethings.” Or seeking someone’s autograph. Or knitting little booties for Capuchin monkeys.
I have to stop myself and realize that, in many ways, I am no different. I have my own collections that people may find silly. My fondness for rocks, for example. I like things. But they are things that other people may find curious, like mice, and opossums, and octopuses.
We don’t have to “share” the same likes and dislikes as others. At the same time, I think it is important that we value our differences. When we do this, we create an energy that is open to inclusiveness, understanding, empathy, and awareness.
Perhaps there are people in the world who do not favor these characteristics. I don’t want to be one of them. But I do hope that by demonstrating the positive aspects of inclusiveness, these people will somehow become more aware of themselves.
As they pick through the old used items on the flea market table, looking through someone else’s “giveaways” — in search of a hidden treasure.
Isn’t that what it is all about? Seeing the hidden treasure?
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“You deserve a circle of inclusion, but it’s up to you to create it.” – Robin Sharma
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“The beauty of the world lies in its diversity.” – Mahatma Gandhi
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“If a rainbow were only one color, it wouldn’t be nearly as beautiful.” – Polly Kronenberger
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Flea Market Truths by Linda Stowe
