4
Lazar
Angello Lazar
Professor Thomas
Writing I
17 November 2017
Seeing Compassion
I was driving with blaring music on a hot summer day with 3 other friends in the car. My mother ordered us to return home because we were late, so, just as any sensible human being would do, we sped maneuvered through Atlanta traffic like absolute maniacs. As we approached a particular intersection, the lanes quickly began to merge into one, but there was an issue: there was a line of stubborn cars in the merged lane. I was the only one left in my lane that was coming to an end soon and I logically thought, “I will just cut everyone off in this tank-like SUV. It’ll be a piece-of-cake.” I did not know that, in fact, this was no piece-of-cake by any means. Without hesitation, I quickly signaled and put the pedal to the metal to get my hood of the car in a small gap between the car to my left and the car in front of it. Success. I had just cut-off more than twenty cars. Then, I heard a furious yelling coming from my left in addition to a persistent honking. I looked over to see what the commotion was about, because, clearly, the driver I just cut-off was livid. Partially halted in the merged lane, I angrily turned to yell back and made eye-contact with the fuming driver: it was a close family friend from church…
I would never expect to see a close church friend on the streets over one hour away from church; nonetheless, expect to cut them off in traffic. I recall joking and apologizing to the lady immediately after this occurred. Then, I received a phone call a few minutes later from my mother yelling at me about how she was going to kill me when I returned. However, I learned a few lessons from this encounter. Firstly, be aware of the time because these situations can be avoided with ease if you just leave earlier. Secondly, be ready to see someone you know at all times because you never know when or in what circumstance you will see a familiar face. Lastly, think before you act because if you say one wrong thing at the wrong time to the wrong person, before you know it, your life could be over. For me, seeing involves a comfortable form of reflection. I frequently question the things I do and see. Probably, questioning my actions is something I have learned over time.
In a descriptive reflection in Annie Dillard’s essay, “Seeing,” Dillard speaks of the various times she used to hide a penny for someone else to find. She would then take a piece of chalk to indicate where a passing-by stranger could locate this “free gift from the universe.” In her young mind, she believed that, “It is that simple. What you see is what you get” (Dillard 11). She made it apparent for any stranger that was willing to look and put effort forth to be able to find the penny. With this, Dillard adds, “There are lots of things to see, unwrapped gifts and free surprises” (Dillard 11). Dillard utilizes this anecdote to present the idea that seeing involves a comfortable form of reflecti...
