Photo courtesy of HuffPost (https://www.huffingtonpost.com/jorge-newbery/investment-crowdfunding-w_b…)
Seven billion people. There are seven billion different stories on this planet, yet we the only one we truly hear is our own. Have you ever sat down in a coffee shop, cafeteria, or school desk and looked around and tried to figure out someone’s story? Wondered what it would be like to live in their shoes and go through what they do? Well, I have, and I think I have become a pro at it. Even though it may seem odd, I think what is great about people-watching is that you will never truly know what someone’s story is unless you live it.
I have been to so many parts of the world and have seen so many people who live such different lives, and I question what their life is like. Even though people’s stories are different, everyone has something in common; every person connects to one another’s circumstances, despite how different we are from each other. When we connect, we learn to empathize for those who go through a lot worse than we do.
There is song that I listen to when I feel this need to connect. It is called “Auld Lang Syne.” There are many different versions of the song. I usually listen to the Lea Michele version. This song always manages to bring tears to my eyes because it reminds me every day to remember people always have a past or a story that we may never really understand unless we go through it ourselves. Every person has a story that makes them unique and different, but we need to remember that we do not know each individual’s story. So, when we say things, we have be conscious to those around us, because we don’t know whose story we could be criticizing, mocking, or ridiculing.
Seven billion stories are on this Earth that are all different and unique. Seven billion stories are why we always need to empathize and why it is important to not judge or mistreat others unless we have walked in their shoes.