Second chances

How often have you passed up on something only to think back and realize that what you passed up appealed more than you thought? What about people who approached you to sell items they made yet, you brushed them aside because you were in a hurry and didn't pay attention to what they had to offer? When did you last take more than one look at a stranger you passed on the street or in a familiar place although you'd never seen them there before? Could it be a sign?

Imagine, for a moment, that these people you disregarded or turned down at a glance were more than you initially thought? What if they appeared to test you somehow, for simple gestures of compassion, kindness or even a simple look of understanding.  If someone claimed to need money for a bus fare or a phone call, would you assume this was a con artist or would you automatically spare the change? Do you also begin to wonder if you had done the right thing?

When I visit foreign places, I meander along streets to get-to-know my way around. In my travels, I've often come across homeless people staring at the ground.  I'm less in the habit of giving money than food, but there have also been times when I felt rushed and passed by such strangers. Increasingly, I find that if I hadn't offered something the first time around, I encounter the same stranger again in another place or the same place, as if to beckon I reconsider my  attention.

In Bali, Indonesia, I recall meeting a woman on the beach who invited me to her remote stall of wares down the road. I initially followed her, but yet, had no money on me.  Of course, she was disappointed.  The situation was especially difficult because of recent bomb scare and a lack of tourists.  I promised the woman I would return.  I'm unsure whether she believed me.  So many people will say such things and not really mean them.  A few days later, I did return.  It was clear in her eyes and her gratitude that keeping my word had made all the difference. 

In  other areas of life, second chances also present themselves, but why would you recognize them? Something different would have to occur inside you to prevent you from making the same choices as before. What would it require for you to grow? Why would you step back and change? Perhaps there was a time when you weren't ready for love. You were blind to its presence right before you.  Then,  after life experience, you begin see the world around you with new eyes. 

In such a case, a man grew up and joined the airforce. Strangely enough, his mom had a welcome home party after a mission and invited friends from the neighbourhood. A girl he had known in gradeschool arrived at the party.  She had blossomed into a beautiful woman.  Within a year, they married.  To this day, this man considers his wife to have come to him because of his guardian angel.