Changing the Narrative

 This spring, my husband and I enjoyed a lovely vacation in Ireland.   Our last stop was the historic town at the end of the Wild Atlantic Way, Kinsale.  On a beautiful May morning, we took the Scilly Walk along the water all the way up the hill to Charles Fort.  As we approached the fort,  there was an inviting green space that beckoned us.   Not a soul sat on the grass, so we took the opportunity to choose an inviting patch to sit on and ponder the precious and peaceful spring day while overlooking Kinsale Harbor.   Watching the sailboats, sensing the soft ocean breeze, listening to gulls, and smelling the salt air brings one to nearly a meditative state, or the “blue mind” which is the state people fall into when they are near water.   And then….

A bus arrived in the parking lot, and as the tourists exited the bus, four people walked toward us, around us, near us.  They were so close to us that I worried they might step on us. They were talking to each other in a language I did not recognize.  I felt my blood boil, and my first impulse was to say something rude.   My husband turned to me and said, “ do you believe this?” So much for the idyllic morning.  We were complicit in our annoyance and our frustration in the loss of our peace, and then I thought of something. I had been perusing a bookstore in Galway when I discovered a book with an interesting theme…how to make the world a better place.   I remembered a few simplistic ideas that seemed obvious, and I wondered if they could really make the world better.  But I thought I would try.  I turned to my husband and said, “watch this.”

I stood up, walked toward the family, and said, “would you like me to take your photo?” They initially looked startled, stared at each other, and then tentatively said yes.   I took several shots at different angles, and upon giving the phone back, asked them where they were from.   They said they were from Toronto.  I told them we were Americans from the Boston area.  The woman said she had thought we were American.  I was suddenly glad I took the higher road and did not let my basest impulses dictate the situation. They had just left Portugal, and now were touring Ireland celebrating their son’s graduation from dental school.  I could tell this was a joyous experience for them.  I said, “wow, what a wonderful way to celebrate your son’s graduation.  Congratulations to all of you!”  We smiled and said our good-byes.   As I thought of this very simple little technique that changed the narrative of the morning, I silently expressed gratitude toward my serendipitous encounter with the book that truly helped to make the world a better place.