What world do you live in?

Think about yourself going through a normal day. During this day you see and interact with various people in various situations. Now, think about how you react to them. What do you see when you look at the lady who empties your trash? The guy who picks up your dishes at the restaurant? The person who cuts you off in traffic? Or even the really intense guy who is walking by on his way to something? How do you normally view these folks (if you view them at all)?

Do you look at the lady grabbing your trash from your cube as just another Latina woman who is probably not able to speak to you and is maybe not even legal? Do you look at your waiter as a career slacker who probably slept all day before coming in to work your table? Do you hate the guy that cuts you off in traffic? Do you assume the intense guy is one of those arrogant people that think they are too important to notice anyone else? Perhaps you don't, but perhaps--at times--you do.

I watched the movie Stardust this weekend. It is set in the middle 1800's and tells the story of a boy who lives in a town called Wall. The wall that the town gets its name for is all that seperates it from the fantasy world on the other side. In the town, Tristan is ridiculed and ostracized. He is beaten, easily, by his rival for the attentions of the fair Victoria and hardly gets to spend any time with her at all. In fact, just to spend a meal with her, he spends his life savings to buy some food and champagne for a picnic. Now she is a fairly nice lady, and very pretty BUT, she is a bit self-centered and has no intention of getting closer to Tristan because Humphrie (the other suitor) is MUCH richer and seems to be more able and handsome. In fact, he has to promise to cross the wall and bring her back a fallen star they had just saw.

On the other side of the wall he becomes a hero and has someone looking at him with a heart that gives, not takes. This beautiful woman loves him and sees the person inside, even before it matches the person outside. She does not need proof that he loves her because she just wants him.

I don't want to ruin the movie for any of you I just want to ask, Which world are you living in? Do you see the Latina woman or do you live in the world with the poet who is trying to make ends meet and support her family? Do you see the slacker waiter, or do you live in the world with the entrepreneur that has a budding side business that he works on during the day and usually only gets 4 hours of sleep? Do you see an intense man that you figure as arrogant and self absorbed, or do you live in the world with the man who owns his own business and he KNOWS he has to make it work because each one of his employees have a wife and kids? Do you hate the guy who cuts you off in traffic or do you live in a world where just maybe he is late to pick up his 10 year old daughter from karate class and he is worried that she might be scared if he does not get there in time?

I know which world I have been living in for 44 years and today I crossed the wall.