How often do you trip when you walk down the street? How often do you bump into objects or drop important items? If you are clumsy, it may perhaps be more often than others, but it can certainly not be more often than you do when you are at home.
It is quite strange that although our home is a familiar space, we seem to bump into furniture, drop objects and misplace our things more often than we do when we are in unfamiliar places, like the street or a shop. We may not notice this phenomenon, nor may it seem particularly important, but it is a rather candid reflection of a slice of human nature.
corridor (AI generated image from Freepix)
We encounter many more ‘accidents’ at home than we do when we are outside simply because we are paying more attention to our surroundings when we are outside. We are intentionally more alert and aware because when we are not at home, there is more need for us to be responsible for ourselves and our safety. At home, we take the liberty to walk without checking the floor, or we leave items around knowing that they will be safe. Consequently, we may bump into furniture or temporarily misplace a few items. These minor mishaps are worth the comfort that we experience by not having to be on guard all the time.
However, what about the things we lose and the mishaps we encounter that are not worth it? What about the price we pay because we chose not to pay attention?
As we progress through life, there is one fact that constantly surrounds us in everything we do – we share this world with other people. We cannot live without affecting each other in some way. Some impacts are intentional while others are not. Some impacts are positive while others are not. Nevertheless, we have the responsibility of at least being aware of the effects we have on the people around us and on our surroundings.
When we are at home, we intentionally sacrifice a bit of our alertness for the sake of our own comfort. When we are out in the world, we seem to have taken on the habit of sacrificing alertness at the cost of others’ safety and peace.
When we make a choice to smoke in public, we are choosing to expose others to second-hand smoke. When we choose to drive while texting, we are choosing a text message over someone’s life. When we waste, litter and pollute, we are choosing our own convenience over the future of our planet.
Life is a series of choices. Sometimes, we get so caught up in ourselves that we do not even notice the moments when we make a choice. As we grow into adults, we have the responsibility of paying attention to our choices and the consequences of our choices. Becoming healthy adults involves understanding that if we do not pay attention to the things we do, then there may be another person who is affected apart from ourselves. Being a good person is the simple act of ensuring that even if you do not affect anyone positively, you at least do not harm them.
