I deliver things, that is what I do. A few years ago, I cooked for people, but that was a lifetime in the past. Now I deliver things.
Here is a little anecdote for your perusal and moral valuation.
Let me start by saying that I try to be open minded and do indeed attempt to overcome my shortfalls. We all have our prejudices and how we deal with them shows something of the character of the person.
Yesterday Nelson Mandela past away and his passing is on the minds of every one. He was a great man who helped to shape more than his country. Our world is a better place because of what he stood for. Frankly, our government could learn a lesson or two from that esteemed man.
Now for my little yarn:
I had been making deliveries all day long and finally made it to my last one, yey! I got to the house and waited for the gate to open. Yes, it was a place that had a gate and lots of money behind it to protect. As I was pulling up to the garage the owner came out to greet me. This is normal in many cases, the owner has been waiting for their package and wants to finally see it.
Usually I go over the steps of the delivery and begin to think about what the conversation will be like. Usually the conversation is only the mechanics of the delivery, where to put the box, where to sign on the forms, and have a nice day. Sometimes though, the customer and I will talk about things little more then the banal basics and I like to be ready for this.
As I was backing up to the garage, I saw the guy was black. This is nothing unusual, but the first thing I thought of was the death of Mandela and what this man thought of the ramifications of it.
Then I remembered that I had not felt the urge to have this conversation with any one else all day long. I thought about this for a moment and wondered if I was being a little hypocritical. Yet I was curious to know what he thought about the subject.
I decided to wait and see if the man would open the subject and if he did, then I could query him about it. Yet it still bothered me that I felt the need to even ask the question of this man in the first place.
The subject never came up and all we talked about was where he wanted the package put. And that was that. He got his stuff and I left.
I like to think I am a progressive thinker and open minded, yet I run into this kind of thing once in a while and I wonder if I am the person I want to be, or am I merely acting that way.
What do you think?
olc
