In a waiting room crowded with chairs along the wall and in the room’s center, there were only five of us who peopled it. Cumbersome it was to move across the space. An elderly man cautiously made his way through with a polite, "‘Scuse me," wherein the elderly woman moved her foot for him to get by, acknowledging with a songly "Mm hmm," as he passed. Oddly touching in its simplicity, the connectedness of all human beings through polite exchange of consideration, each "bowing" to each, as it were.

I wondered, why be considerate? I imagined the question coming from a child. Clearly the answer came: Because it’s how we each long to be treated—even at its most simple and basic, cursory and easily forgotten fraction of a second. Because acknowledging the other is acknowledging self. Showing respect is commanding respect.

Order is called out of the chaos of the otherwise complicated realities of our lives—waiting in doctors’ offices, attending to paperwork, meeting deadlines, assessing and being assessed—inherently there are difficulties and challenges and opportunities to be hurt by situations and circumstances. Surely it is a great relief and tour de force to show simple kindness, simple politeness, a smile, acknowledgment, verbal affirmation of the presence and significance of other. To do to other is to do to self. So charity, consideration, begins at "home," inside our own souls and "right thinking."

(Would that always my deeds reflected my words, that the power of my actions would draw from the power of my words. This is my prayer.)

We are living in an increasingly violent world—gratuitously violent in our media and relationships. Just look at the Oscar winners for 2008. Just watch the news. Just listen to your colleague reflect on his or her situation at home or the office. The world is disintegrating. Dis - integrating. The root of the problem? Forgetting our connectedness to each other. Losing touch, touch, with our Source. Peter Travers from "The Rolling Stones" quotes the sherif (Tommy Lee Jones) from "No Country for Old Men": "It starts when you begin to overlook bad manners. Anytime you quit hearin' 'sir' and 'ma'am,' the end is pretty much in sight."

Is there hope? Check out "The Web of Life" posted on www.inwardoutward.org.  (http://www.inwardoutward.org/index.php?s=web+of+life) 

I found hope there. A scent of fresh-tilled earth...a glimmer of morning sun on the trembling leaves...