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Are You Naive?
By Nick Garzaniti, Editorial Editor
As we grow
older, we mature; we learn to love, to hate; we prosper, and we fail. Somewhere
between childhood and becoming an adult, there is a brief lapse of time
when we make a decision to shine brighter and with more energy, perseverance,
and enthusiasm than we ever imagined, or else we start to fade.
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We begin life with a mind, opinions, and emotional responses all our own.
Then events take place that cause us to rethink and ultimately question
what we deem trustworthy and true.
Behavior
by definition is a complex set of responses. Have we gone through so much
in our lives that our reactions have caused us to look upon the world with
hard eyes and cold hearts? Every time we are let down, disappointed, mistreated,
or embarrassed, something inside us says, “Okay, wait. That made me feel
bad, so I’m never going to try again,” or “I got the answer wrong last
time and everyone laughed, so I’m not going to ever ask another question
again.” But the worst response is “I hear all the horror stories about
people getting hurt helping strangers, so I can’t help that family along
the side of the road or the man at the corner for fear that he might be
corrupt, playing me for a fool.”
How
many times have you helped someone you didn’t know just because?
And not out of guilt or for community service. Never? In today’s society,
it is not only considered foolish to rely on the kindness of strangers,
but your respectability is lost, and all of a sudden you are considered
naive.
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Naive.
Simply because you haven’t allowed life’s negative experiences to cause
you to hate people or life, or to even stereotype people as a general danger
or threat.
During
summer school, I had to arrive at school between a half hour to an hour
early every day, so to kill time, I would go to 7-Eleven for a frosty moccachino.
Being the extroverted person I am, I made it a point to say hello and extend
a warm smile to everyone I passed as I walked down Fourth Street. In return,
I generally received warm smiles and hello’s from everyone I met. |
Sometimes having the courage to open your heart to a
stranger can lead to unexpected yet beautiful friendships.
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Being the klutz that I am, I also once managed to spill my moccachino all over
my new white pants, so I rushed to the nearest laundry mat and tried to
clean up a bit.
While I was there I met a homeless woman named Sheryl. She was elderly and very
talkative, willing to share a story and her opinions on everything from
fashion to abortion. By the end of the hour, I was enthralled and hanging
on her every word. I was so inspired by her candor and felt so close to
her that I gave her the last $10 dollars in my wallet just so she could
eat for the next two days.
If being naive means helping out an old woman so she can enjoy a couple of
warm meals, or walking up to a stranger who seems down on his luck and
offering a patient ear; if naive is a genuine feeling of compassion for
my fellow man, then I am proud of the way I am and hope forever to be naive.
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