Throughoutour lives, we meet many people. When we encounter someone, we shouldnot condemn that person according to his/her initial behavior becausethere isalways a reason behind someone's behavior. Well communication,understanding, respect, and a little help may change a person's life.I learned that through a missions trip to China.
Inmy freshman year in high school, I was invited to be a teachingassistant and a translator to teach Chinese students English insouthern China. Obviously, teachingis not a easy job. Longhours preparing material, grading homework, attending staff meetings,and getting few hours of sleep, those were not of my major burdens.Themost difficult task I faced was counseling a eight-year-old boy namedPeter. He exhibited fighting, excessive vulgar language, rebellion,and many other things. Every teacher gave up on Peter, deeming him“unmanageable”. Since Peter had no friends, they passed him on tome for companionship and counseling. Despite the stress of my otherresponsibilities, I was committed to fulfilling my duty, goingthrough difficult weeks chatting, mentoring, and spending time withPeter. However, underneath my veneer of diligence and encouragement,I still viewed Peter with contempt.
Itwas not until the day I gave Peter my complete true love andpatience, miracle happened. When I spent my whole afternoon free timeto coach him American football, that something changed. Peter wasglowing with delight after catching his first 40-yard pass andscoring a “touchdown”. He soon opened up, improved his behavior,and began making friends thereafter.
Lateron, I was told that Peter had an abusive father and high levels oflead in his blood, which would explain his impulsive, aggressive,antisocial behavior.
WhenI told Peter's story to my mom, she said that there is always areason for people's actions. She showed me the importance of treatingeveryone with compassion by telling a real story. One day, herteacher was riding on a 6am train to New York City. Next to him sat afather and his five-year-old son. Despite the son was crying,climbing around, disturbed all sleepy passengers the father just idlysat there. My mom's teacher, annoyed, asked that father to quiet hisson. The father burst into replying, “His mother just died in thehospital two hours ago!” Since then, the teacher told my mom, itchanged his self-centered attitude forever.
Likemost of i-generation young man, I was a little self-centered persontoo, and dislike to make friends who are not falling in my ownstandard. The above living experiences changed my perspective of life.
Lookingforward to a college life in near future, I will walk on a campus andmeet bunch of people come from different background, cultures, races,and statuses. I cannot use my own rule to mature some people likePeter or the boy on the train, and simply label them “good” or“bad”. Instead, I must communicate who I meet with moreunderstanding, respect, love and patience regardless of how odd theymight appear to be. You never know how and when, just a littlesympathyor kindness give out from a person mayturn around another person's life and future.
