Someone Else's Anger
As a child, there were many times when I felt hurt, disturbed and confused by the anger of an adult. This is one of the stories that I remember.
Advanced Version
I remember many occasions, as a child, when I felt hurt, disturbed and confused by the anger of an adult. This is one of the stories that I remember.
When I was 10 I went with my friend Steve and his 12-year-old brother Geoff on the bus from Twickenham to The Olympia hall in London. We were excited to be going to the annual Toy Fair that was being held there.
We got off the bus and, as we were approaching the entrance, I noticed a uniformed security official standing with his back to the brick wall. Then, on the pavement in front of me, I spotted a blue pen. I picked it up and saw that it had the name โJulianโ engraved into it. It was the kind of thing that a child would take home after visiting the Toy Fair. My friends were a little envious that I had found it before them.
As we were examining this find, an angry man pulling a two-year old by the hand confronted me. Furious, he grabbed the pen from me, saying,
โDonโt ever steal from my son again!โ
My first instinct was to look for an adult to protect me. I saw the security guard, but he was paying no attention. My friends were too startled to say anything in my defense.
The toddlerโs eyes met mine. They seemed to tell me that, even though he was too young to speak, he wanted to say that he had simply dropped it.
For the rest of the day, I couldn't get his Dad's anger out of my mind. The man hadn't hurt me physically, but he had hurt me by giving me feelings of injustice, powerlessness and confusion.
I understand now that Julian's father was himself feeling hurt by something in his life. I am sure that he himself was facing difficulties in his life that made him feel powerless and angry.
I also understand now that I am not powerless in this kind of situation. I can choose to remember that there is no point in trying to convince someone who is angry that they are wrong. Trying to do that will only make me feel powerless and pull me into the anger.
Instead I can choose to remember that inside of me there is always a feeling of peace that can be relied on: my breath. It is always there.
And of course, I can also choose to say, "I'm sorry." At the moment I picked up that pen I was celebrating that something was now "mine!" I could, instead, have been looking around to see if someone had accidentally dropped it.
๐ฏ๐ต Advanced
ๅญไพใฎ้ ใๅคงไบบใฎๆใใซๅทใคใใๅๆบใใๆททไนฑใใใใใใใจใฏไฝๅบฆใใใใพใใใใใใฏใใใใช่จๆถใฎไธใคใงใใ
10ๆญณใฎๆใๅไบบใฎในใใฃใผใใจๅฝผใฎๅ ใง12ๆญณใฎใธใงใใจไธ็ทใซใใในใซไนใฃใฆใใฅใคใใฑใใ ใใใญใณใใณใฎใชใชใณใใขใปใใผใซใธๅใใใพใใใใใใง้ๅฌใใใฆใใๆฏๅนดๆไพใฎใใคใใงใขใซ่กใใใจใซใชใฃใฆใใฆใ็งใใกใฏ่ธใ่บใใใฆใใพใใใ
ใในใ้ใใฆๅ ฅๅฃใซ่ฟใฅใใจใใฌใณใฌใฎๅฃใ่ใซใใฆ็ซใฃใฆใใๅถๆๅงฟใฎ่ญฆๅๅกใ็ฎใซๅ ฅใใพใใใใใฎๆใ็ฎใฎๅใฎๆญฉ้ใซ้ใใใณใ่ฝใกใฆใใใฎใ่ฆใคใใพใใใๆพใไธใใใจใใใใซใฏใใธใฅใชใขใณใใจใใๅๅใๅปใพใใฆใใพใใใใใใฏใใใคใใงใขใ่จชใใๅญไพใ่จๅฟตใซๆใกๅธฐใใใใชๅ็ฉใงใใใๅไบบใใกใฏใ่ชๅใใกใใๅ ใซ็งใใใใ่ฆใคใใใใจใๅฐใ็พจใพใใใใพใใใ
็งใใกใใใฎๆพใ็ฉใ็บใใฆใใใจใ2ๆญณใใใใฎๅญไพใฎๆใๅผใใๆใฃใๆงๅญใฎ็ทๆงใ็งใซ่ฉฐใๅฏใฃใฆใใพใใใๅฝผใฏๆฟๆใใ็งใใใใณใใฒใฃใใใใจใใ่จใใพใใใ ใไบๅบฆใจๆฏๅญใฎใใฎใ็ใใช๏ผใ
็งใฎใจใฃใใฎๆฌ่ฝใฏใๅฎใฃใฆใใใใใชๅคงไบบใๆขใใใจใงใใใ่ญฆๅๅกใฎๅงฟใ่ฆใใพใใใใๅฝผใฏๅ จใใใกใใซ้ขๅฟใๆใฃใฆใใพใใใงใใใๅไบบใใกใใใพใใฎใใจใซ้ฉใใ็งใๅผ่ญทใใ่จ่ใๅบใพใใใงใใใ
ใใฎๅนผๅ ใจ็ฎใๅใใพใใใๅฝผใฏใพใ ๅนผใใใฆ่จ่ใฏ่ฉฑใใพใใใงใใใใใใฎ็ฎใฏ็งใซใใ่จดใใฆใใใใใงใใใใใใ ่ฝใจใใกใใฃใใ ใใชใใ ใใจใ
ใใฎๆฅไธๆฅใใใฎ็ถ่ฆชใฎๆใใ้ ญใใ้ขใใพใใใงใใใๅฝผใฏ็งใ่บซไฝ็ใซๅทใคใใใใใงใฏใใใพใใใงใใใใ็ไธๅฐฝใใ็กๅๆใใใใฆๆททไนฑใจใใๆๆ ใซใใฃใฆใ็งใๅทใคใใใฎใงใใ
ไปใซใชใฃใฆ็่งฃใงใใใฎใฏใใธใฅใชใขใณใฎ็ถ่ฆช่ช่บซใใไบบ็ใซใใใฆไฝใใซๅทใคใใฆใใใฎใ ใจใใใใจใงใใใใฃใจๅฝผ่ช่บซใ็กๅๆใๆใใๆใใใใใใใชๅฐ้ฃใซ็ด้ขใใฆใใใซ้ใใใใพใใใ
ใพใใไปใฎ็งใฏใใฎใใใช็ถๆณใงใ็กๅใงใฏใชใใใจใ็่งฃใใฆใใพใใๆใฃใฆใใ็ธๆใซใใใชใใ้้ใฃใฆใใใใจ็ดๅพใใใใใจใใฆใๆๅณใใชใใใจๆใๅบใใใจใใงใใใใใงใใใใใใใใจใใใฐใใใใฃใฆ็กๅๆใซ่ฅฒใใใ็ธๆใฎๆใใซๅทปใ่พผใพใใฆใใพใใ ใใงใใ
ใใฎไปฃใใใซใ่ชๅใฎไธญใซใฏๅธธใซ้ ผใใซใชใๅนณ็ฉใชๆ่ฆใใคใพใใ่ชๅใฎๅผๅธใใใใใใจใๆใๅบใใใจใใงใใพใใใใใฏๅธธใซใใใซใใใฎใงใใ
ใใใฆใใกใใใใใใใใชใใใใจ่จใ้ธๆใใงใใพใใใใฎใใณใๆพใฃใ็ฌ้ใฎ็งใฏใไฝใใใๅใฎใใฎใใซใชใฃใใใจใๅฟใฎไธญใงๅใใงใใพใใใใใใงใฏใชใใ่ชฐใใใใฃใใ่ฝใจใใใใฎใงใฏใชใใใจใๅจใใ่ฆๅใใใจใใงใใใฏใใชใฎใงใใ
Intermediate Version
When I was a child, the anger of adults often confused me. Here is one story.
When I was 10, I went to a Toy Fair in London with two friends. Outside the entrance, I saw a blue pen on the ground. It had the name โJulianโ written on it. I picked it up. My friends were a little jealous that I found it first.
Suddenly, an angry man came over. He was holding a small boyโs hand. He grabbed the pen from me and shouted, โDonโt ever steal from my son again!โ
I was scared. There was a security guard nearby, but when I looked to him for help I could see that he was not paying attention. The little boy looked at me. His eyes seemed to say that he had just dropped it by accident.
The man didn't hit me, but he hurt my feelings. For the rest of the day, I felt sad and confused.
Now, I understand that the father was probably having a hard time in his own life.
I also know what to do now. There is no point in arguing with an angry person. Instead, I can focus on my breath to remember the peace inside myself.
Also, I can choose to say, "I'm sorry." When I picked up the pen, I only thought, "It's mine!" I should have looked around to see if someone had lost it.
๐ฏ๐ต Intermediate
ๅญไพใฎ้ ใ็งใฏใใๅคงไบบใฎๆใใซๆธๆใใใจใใใใพใใใใใใฏใใใใชไฝ้จใฎไธใคใงใใ
10ๆญณใฎๆใๅไบบ2ไบบใจใญใณใใณใง้ๅฌใใใใใคใใงใขใซ่กใใพใใใไผๅ ดใฎๅ ฅๅฃใฎ่ฟใใงใๅฐ้ขใซ้ใใใณใ่ฝใกใฆใใใฎใ่ฆใคใใพใใใใใใซใฏใใธใฅใชใขใณใใจใใๅๅใๆธใใใฆใใพใใใ็งใใใใๆพใไธใใใจใๅไบบใใกใฏ็งใๅ ใซ่ฆใคใใใใจใๅฐใ็พจใพใใใใพใใใ
ใใใจ็ช็ถใๆใฃใๆงๅญใฎ็ทๆงใ่ฟใฅใใฆใใพใใใๅฝผใฏๅฐใใช็ทใฎๅญใฎๆใๅผใใฆใใพใใใ็ทๆงใฏ็งใใใใณใใฒใฃใใใใใไบๅบฆใจๆฏๅญใฎใใฎใ็ใใช๏ผใใจๆ้ณดใใพใใใ
็งใฏๆๆใๆใใพใใใ่ฟใใซ่ญฆๅๅกใใใใฎใงใใใๅฉใใๆฑใใฆ่ฆ็ทใ้ใฃใฆใใๅฝผใฏๅ จใใใกใใ่ฆใฆใใพใใใงใใใ็ทใฎๅญใ็งใ่ฆใคใใพใใใใใฎ็ฎใฏใใใใฃใใ่ฝใจใใกใใฃใใ ใใชใใ ใใจ่จดใใฆใใใใใซ่ฆใใพใใใ
็ทๆงใฏ็งใๆฎดใฃใใใฏใใพใใใงใใใใ็งใฎๅฟใฏๆทฑใๅทใคใใพใใใใใฎๆฅไธๆฅใใฃใจใ็งใฏๆฒใใใใใใใใชใๆฐๆใกใง้ใใใพใใใ
ไปใซใชใฃใฆๆใใฐใใใฎ็ถ่ฆช่ช่บซใใไบบ็ใซใใใฆไฝใ่พใไบๆ ใๆฑใใฆใใใฎใใใใใพใใใ
ไปใชใใใฉใๅฏพๅฆใในใใใใใใใพใใๆใฃใฆใใ็ธๆใจ่จใไบใฃใฆใๆๅณใใใใพใใใใใฎไปฃใใใซใ่ชๅใฎๅผๅธใซๆ่ญใๅใใใใจใงใๅฟใฎๅนณ็ฉใๅใๆปใใใจใใงใใพใใ
ใใใฆใ็ด ็ดใซใใใใใชใใใใจ่จใใใจใใงใใพใใใใฎๆใใใณใๆพใฃใ็ฌ้ใฎ็งใฏใใใฃใใๅใฎใใฎใ ๏ผใใจใใๆใใพใใใงใใใๆฌๆฅใชใใ่ชฐใใ่ฝใจใใใใฎใงใฏใชใใใจใๅจใใ่ฆๆธกใในใใ ใฃใใฎใงใใ
