So this was my view on the subway coming home from Manhattan last Wednesday evening. With sweltering humidity above ground one of the few shelters from the oppressive heat for those without shelter is the subway. And this man was one of several reminders to me throughout that evening of how truly blessed I am and how easily I forget that. It also gave me pause for thought on how readily we judge others by superficial standards; really in how readily I assess people with meaningless parameters cultivated by living in a society where outward appearance drives our social interactions. Earlier in the day a man most would have turned quickly away from based on his physical appearance

and odd manner of speech actually made it possible for me to catch my train and make it into the city by giving me the change from his pocket to pay the parking meter. And he was happy for me to give him pennies in exchange. While I do believe as a woman I must be able to assess my surroundings and make good judgments about my security I also believe I can be a little more thoughtful about how I make those decisions. I can be a little more generous to those that may seem different than I am and a little more patient in my interactions with those who may appear to "have it all" but may be "living lives of quiet desperation". For what I have learned is that not only do we make assumptions about people who may look like this gentleman, but we also tend to do the same about those who look the part of perfection.