What About The Other?

It's 10:46pm in Manhattan on a breezy Spring night. The day has been perfect and you're on your way home. As you approach the 1 subway terminal in the "downtown" direction, a familiar but unwanted smell approaches your nostrils. Unsubtle notes of rotten garbage and foul body odor overpower the concentration of your favorite song in queue. Looking up you notice a shabby man asking you for a handout. You ignore and continue on to your final destination. This is the drill that has enveloped your psyche for quite some time now. Franz Kafka, a Czech born author, was quite keen on society, and our attempts to shut out the "other" was heavily ingrained in his writings. Metamorphosis was one of his such endeavors. We read how an overnight change of appearance in a particular family member has brought shame and disgrace to the family. This ultimately leads to hiding the particular member from society as he slowly dies inside. Although this doesn't normally occur in a traditional family setting, however, as a world family we ignore and shamefully walk past our distant struggling siblings as if they were roadkill. Nevermind the opportunity to bless them with a monetary token, the common courtesy of acknowledgment is usually of more worth in their eyes. Everyone started the same as precious, innocent children, and if we realize that we all are from the same boat heading toward the same destination maybe it would seem less of a burden to throw in a life vest. Human interaction is such a powerful tool, that withholding that opportunity from others is such a poignant blow to their constant struggle. Even when you succeed at life and forget about the stranger, the beggar, the "other," you still fail. It's 10:47pm in Manhattan on a breezy Spring night. Will you continue this perfect day, by turning around and greeting your distant brother or sister?