Tuesday 8 November 2011

It's all Good to be Good

So this past weekend, I celebrated my sisters birthday.  It was a really fun time, involving a group of lovely 30something ladies, copious amounts of alcohol and dirrrrty house music as she puts it. 

What can you possibly learn from a group of women such as this?  Other than some super fun (and retro) dance moves, various methods of how NOT to get on a streetcar, and how to score free spinach & cheese pies?... Well theres always life lessons. 

Which got me thinking...

Somewhere on this night of excitement and exuberance, I found that not only are women really cool to hang out with, but generally speaking, tend to be awesome people.  I look around me, being the only 20something in the room and realize that these people are speaking my language.  They get it.  So I perk up my ears, open my mind and just listen. (something a lot of people my age constantly neglect to do)  What I heard was so amazing.  

In the course of one evening I found that other people understand the value of being good to others.  Not earth shattering stuff, but real nevertheless.  This is something that I'm always on the lookout for and never seem to find (mostly because I work in retail)

In more than one setting, and in more than one way, I saw it first hand.  A respect and love for others that ultimately transcends race, religious affilition, status and so much more.  I saw and heard these women talk about their life experiences (and fine in the context of a party, it didn't go in depth), but they did in a real way. 

For example.  I had a conversation about homeless people.  What do you do when you see a homeless person on the street?  When your stopped at a red light and that bearded homeless guy is petitioning uncomfortable looking drivers for spare change while haphazardly waving around a squeegee?  When the crazy lady on the corner asks you again for a hand out?  While your just walking home after the club and see a lump under a jacket with just a scraggly mutt for company?

I was always taught to be nice.  If you don't feel comfortable giving out your money, for whatever reason, you at least give that person the respect of direct eye contact, a smile and a wish for their day to get better, or some variation thereof.  I've never, ever, seen my dad for example be rude, snotty, or cold to someone who had less than him, because I honestly thought it never occurred to him to act as such.

And why should he have? 

So anyways, the night moved to Rasputin's Vodka Lounge, to more drinking and a hell of a lot more dancing.  I love to dance by the way.  It's definitely part of my roots, and it always succeeds in making me all kinds of happy.  We pretty much took over the dancefloor and made an awesome party and with these huge fans blowing warm, humid, club air on us, it felt like we were in another world.  It was good times and with all the good vibes floating around, there weren't any bad feelings when we all got on the streetcar at the end of the night, only to then rapidly exit cuz one of the ladies (who shall remain unnamed) didn't quite manage to stay with the pack.

But again, this only helped to strengthen the group.  And it had me reeling, when one of the ladies jumped off the streetcar, followed by my sis, followed by me, followed by everyone else (who had just paid).  May the record state that for the night in question, no one was left behind...amazing right?

I have had so many nights where people get lost, go off with randoms, go for food or just fuck off somewhere, and this was very different.  It was foreign to me almost, because the lady in the lead was so adamant about finding our dawdler that the whole group followed suit.

And why not?

It makes sense.  If you actually publicly call someone your friend, than why not actually act like a friend.  Far too often, we are caught up in the label of a friendship and actually forget to be GOOD to people.  Which is only kinda surprising.  But again, people in my generation don't often care to commit to their friendships, and aren't actually there for their friends.  I'm sure your guilty of it, and so am I at some point.  Regardless, this night really taught me something.

BE GOOD TO PEOPLE.  It doesn't matter if that person is your BFF (Best Fucking Friend) or a homeless stranger on the street.  Give them your respect.  Because only then can you expect it in return.  (Not that you should only give to receive).  It's called reciprocity.

And by the way, our move as a group to go back and find our lost companion will go on to be referred to here as a classic example of instant Karma.  Karma in the form of a gay man, who was locked out of his building at 3:30 in the morning at the exact time we were finally making our way back home, that felt the need in his heart, to buy us all spinach and cheese pies.  For no other reason than we were there, we were fabulous and we were hungry.

I love when it all makes sense.

- sending you urban hippie love and good vibes so that you too may find some good karma :)

2 comments:

  1. love your blog girl! keep up the great work

    over and out!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks lovefresh! I can only improve from here on out :)

    ReplyDelete