A couple weeks ago a reporter on the CBS Sunday Morning Show did a story on how people are pretty much all the same all over the globe.  He picked a couple of places in the world and visited them.  Then out of the local phone book he picked one person to profile.  It was very touching and interesting.

The one that most impressed me was about an old man who had gone blind and made his living grinding grain.  What made this story so cool was that when he peeled back the layers of this guys life, he had this amazing story.  Although he was blind, and one would think that he would have a sad life in poverty, what the reporter discovered, was this amazing happy guy who felt his life had been blessed.  He had a lovely wife and many children and grand children.   They ran a family business in which all of the money went into one bank account which every member of the family used to take care of their families.  No one was complaining about their share and no law suits were pending over the family business.  Everyone pulled together and look care of each other.

He also pointed out that, in spite of the fact that this blind man seemed to be alone all day, there was always someone in the family that “watched” him.  They didn’t hover over him, they just made sure he was okay, 24/7.  No one complained and everyone just took their turn caring for the father.

What I find compelling about that is that story is that in spite of a tragic beginning to his life, he not only managed to raise a family, but he also instilled in them a good work ethic, the importance of family and an understanding of what it means to share.  It was a great story.

It really inspired me to consider that perhaps I need to be a little more open to the needs of others around me.  Perhaps my perspective on my world needs to enlarge a little to let more people into my view.

So how do you live each day?  Do you concern yourself at all with the people you meet each day.  Do you barely have time to look up and see your own children let alone the rest of the world?  Perhaps it is time for all of us to take a break and enlarge our view of life a little.