Welcome to Aldo Schwartz, born January 12, 2001, 5 lbs. 13 ounces
INVISIBLE LINES
I was hitting balls at the practice range on a gloomy day when I noticed five young deer crossing a nearby green to feed on a hillside. They were within twenty feet of me and showed no fear. However, they were clearly watchful: Every time I moved, even slightly, they were on the alert, looking me in the eye, ready to move. Every time I appeared ready to approach them they backed off slightly. It was if there was an invisible line, a line that they could see, a line that it was forbidden to cross: They would not approach me and I was forbidden to approach them.
It occurred to me that we create invisible lines for ourselves. In our dealings with others, family, friends, loved ones, business contacts, we create invisible lines beyond which both sides of any encounter are forbidden to cross. Sometimes the lines are appropriate: We don't want to approach casual acquaintances as closely as an old friend, we don't want to treat a business contact the same as a family member. But too often the lines we create keep us from knowing others, from helping others, from becoming friends, from allowing others to know us. These lines become dysfunctional when they become walls, isolating us from others.
I think that the natural caution we all feel in new situations, the reserve we bring to encounters with others too easily becomes fear of the unknown, too often creates loneliness. We need to draw the invisible lines carefully, to erase the lines when it's appropriate, to cross the lines when we need to help, when we want to make new friends, even when we want to do the best we can in our work. Humans need interaction with others and we must welcome new people and new situations. Remember the deer: Their caution in approaching me didn't keep them from their activities and it didn't isolate them from the other deer and it didn't isolate them inappropriately from me.
Learn to approach others in an appropriate way and don't let lines become walls. You'll make more friends, do better in your work, help others and be happier.
1-15-01
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