Thursday, April 27, 2017

Try a Little Kindness



For me, the lyrics of a song are just as important as the melody.  I like songs that tell a story or convey a message.  From time to time, I’ll write about songs that touch on tolerance in 
these blog postings.

Some time ago, I wrote about a transgender youth who had appeared before me in juvenile court.  I closed by saying that we should show a little kindness, instead of condemnation.

Whether serendipity or synchronicity, I heard Glen Campbell sing one of his wonderful country songs that had crossed over to the pop charts when I was in college.[1]  The song was number two on the country charts, and reached 23 on Billboard’s Top One Hundred.

The chorus of the song sums up the message for me:

You got to try a little kindness
Yes show a little kindness
Just shine your light for everyone to see
And if you try a little kindness
Then you'll overlook the blindness
 
Of narrow-minded people on the narrow-minded streets.[2]
It’s a challenge any time to look at people’s actions in the most positive light, but perhaps more especially in these times.  It seems like the cable network news shows are full of “Narrow-minded people.”  It’s often hard to get past the yelling and invective displayed there. 

I’ve tried to find news outlets that are more or less balanced and unbiased.  I’ve suggested a liberal site and a conservative site that are tolerable and try to read at least a couple of articles from each on a more or less regular basis.[3]

But the simple message from this simple yet profound song is the real key to understanding:  Show a little kindness, a little respect, a little understanding.  Not everyone on the other side is a demon.  Most are good-hearted, well-intentioned folks who just have a different point of view than I do. 

And, really, this is more about me than them.  I need to “shine (my) light for everyone to see.”


[1] To hear Glen Campbell sing this song, click here.
[3] See the January 19 blog post

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