At the moment, there has been a bit of silence around this project. Because of that, I want to move up a topic that I originally planned to write about later, but which I find important right now due to several recent incidents. So I’d like to tell you a small, surface-level story.
There are people (or rather, pups) who have really gotten on my nerves over the years. And I mean really badly. There are people I’ve seriously clashed with, where things ended in arguments or with harsh words.
But sometimes—earlier or later—I then experienced these people in unusual moments. For example, they’re sitting alone, even though they’re usually surrounded by others. Or they look as gloomy as a hundred days of rain, even though they’re normally cheerful. A ray of sunshine, as a friend would say.
Or a person who suddenly seems overexcited, even though they’re usually rather quiet. And many other possible situations. So what do you do then?
Many people I know would probably just shrug and continue living their lives. And yes, by now there are also individuals where I do exactly that. Mostly because I tried to help them more than once—and if there is zero self-reflection, at some point I give up too.
But should it be that way? No. Depending on the situation, I either approach the person directly or at least follow up later, for example via messenger, and see what’s going on.
And you’d be surprised how open people are when they realize: “Wow. Someone is interested in me!” Even if you don’t get along, people—especially when they’re not doing well—gratefully accept attention. Particularly when it’s genuine. Often, a short conversation is enough to lift someone’s mood.
In my opinion, there are far too few people who pay attention to their surroundings. We often see individuals sitting alone in a corner but don’t really notice them. And I wish that would change.
As the title already says, we don’t all have to like each other. Let alone love each other. But we can still give attention to people who aren’t doing well. We can look out for one another and make sure worse things don’t happen.
Being ignored when you’re already struggling can easily lead into a downward spiral.
Of course, we can’t be there for everyone. And we may not always be willing to help. Our help won’t always be received positively. And sometimes we simply misjudge whether someone needs attention or support.
But I still believe that if we all became a bit more considerate—regardless of whether we know or like someone—and approached each other more, we could make the community a better place.
Paw in paw.