May We Be Kind

              Maya Angelou has written this statement that is so true of human nature: “I’ve learned that people will forget what you have said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”  This quotation reminds me of an experience I had many years ago that truly illustrates the truth of Angelou’s words.

              I had not been teaching at Anderson High School very long when word came to the head of our English department that some big VIP in the field of English education was coming to Indiana University from the East Coast to lead a two-day seminar presenting and discussing the latest innovations for teaching grammar.  So three or four of the English teachers at
AHS (me included) decided to go.

              English teachers from all over the state of Indiana had been invited, so a big group of us gathered for the opening session the first evening to hear a lecture from this Very Important Person. (It’s been so long ago that I do not remember his name nor where he taught; It’s probably just as well.)

              This professor offered some great suggestions and I took a lot of notes.  When he finished his presentation, he asked for any questions.  One woman stood up and said, “Sir, I imply by that you said . . .

              The speaker interrupted her and said loudly with a strong sarcastic tone, “Madame, I imply; you infer.”

                             (A quick review:  A speaker or writer implies, a hearer or listener

                             Infers; to imply is to suggest or throw out a suggestion, while to

                             Infer is to include or take in a suggestion.)

              In other words, that man totally humiliated this teacher in front of her peers.  She sat down quickly, bowed her head and quietly began to weep.

              I never heard another word the man said.  I threw all my notes away in the first trash can I could find.  In fact I do not remember anything about the rest of the seminar.  But I remember seeing that embarrassed teacher’s face begin to turn red; I remember the “put down” tone in the speaker’s voice; I remember seeing her wipe tears away; I remember how disgusted I was with the speaker because of his cruel rudeness.  In short, I believe the speaker was completely out of place and I have never forgotten it as Angelou says.  As I think back about how I felt, I can just imagine that this particular teacher has not forgotten this experience either. 

              I submit this blog because I just don’t believe we have a right to be unkind under any circumstances. In my small world, I find too many people these days who do not practice kindness.  And it troubles me.  We humans need each other, so we must treat each other with respect and kindness.  I love this quote by Henry James: “Three things in human life are important.  The first is to be kind. The second is to be kind.  And the third is to be kind.” May this be our attitude, outlook and mindset as we live each day.