I know I've been talking about booking, arting and Trippin' but I'm just getting home from a nice day at the studio, and something that's none of those things happened. That walk home...it broke my heart.
I came across a young man, an older teen, sitting on the curb crying. At first I was afraid he was hurt. I hurried over and asked if I could help and he said, no. I asked if he was hurt, he said no. I asked if I could do anything and his voice hitched as he said no.
I know that no matter what he said, he was hurt. It wasn't physical, but sometimes the pain that no one else can see is worse.
He didn't know me from Adam, and I didn't know him, but his pain became my pain. Whatever was hurting him, hurt me. And knowing there was nothing I could do to ease what was hurting him hurt me. I patted his shoulder and told him no matter what was wrong, to remember people cared. Some stranger he never met, cared. And I said, I hope it gets better. I'll be thinking of you.
He said, thank you.
I walked home and cried. The mom in me wanted nothing more than to make things better for him. No not the mom in me...the human in me. I think the most human thing in the world is to see someone else in pain and want to help.
I wrote a character who lived by the motto, I can't save the world, but I can try. It's a good motto. But today, I'd change it to, I can't save the world, but I can try to ease its pain.
I hope whatever this boy's pain was, maybe knowing one person saw him, saw that pain, and empathized with him eased it just a bit. Maybe that's enough.
I know that some people think I live in my Hollyworld bubble, a place where glee is the watchword. To some extent, they're right. But it's not that I don't see pain or see the horrible things that happen in the world. It's not that I don't get hurt or angry. It's just that I hope a little bit of happiness from a post, a book, or just a smile as I walk by and say "good morning," helps combat both. I like to think that glee is contagious.
I didn't have glee to offer up this boy today. I only had empathy. From one human to another, all I could do was say, I see you and I hope things get better. It's not much, but I hope it helps.
I think that's the point of this post. None of us can save the world by ourselves, but if each of us tried to make our corner a bit better, maybe together we could.
Holly
I came across a young man, an older teen, sitting on the curb crying. At first I was afraid he was hurt. I hurried over and asked if I could help and he said, no. I asked if he was hurt, he said no. I asked if I could do anything and his voice hitched as he said no.
I know that no matter what he said, he was hurt. It wasn't physical, but sometimes the pain that no one else can see is worse.
He didn't know me from Adam, and I didn't know him, but his pain became my pain. Whatever was hurting him, hurt me. And knowing there was nothing I could do to ease what was hurting him hurt me. I patted his shoulder and told him no matter what was wrong, to remember people cared. Some stranger he never met, cared. And I said, I hope it gets better. I'll be thinking of you.
He said, thank you.
I walked home and cried. The mom in me wanted nothing more than to make things better for him. No not the mom in me...the human in me. I think the most human thing in the world is to see someone else in pain and want to help.
I wrote a character who lived by the motto, I can't save the world, but I can try. It's a good motto. But today, I'd change it to, I can't save the world, but I can try to ease its pain.
I hope whatever this boy's pain was, maybe knowing one person saw him, saw that pain, and empathized with him eased it just a bit. Maybe that's enough.
I know that some people think I live in my Hollyworld bubble, a place where glee is the watchword. To some extent, they're right. But it's not that I don't see pain or see the horrible things that happen in the world. It's not that I don't get hurt or angry. It's just that I hope a little bit of happiness from a post, a book, or just a smile as I walk by and say "good morning," helps combat both. I like to think that glee is contagious.
I didn't have glee to offer up this boy today. I only had empathy. From one human to another, all I could do was say, I see you and I hope things get better. It's not much, but I hope it helps.
I think that's the point of this post. None of us can save the world by ourselves, but if each of us tried to make our corner a bit better, maybe together we could.
Holly
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