Tell me what you see

We were driving home. I was sitting in the back left seat of the car. Absentmindedly, I was listening to the coversation my mom was having with a family friend. She was also in the car with us, right next to me.

I don't even remember what it was about. But the car in the right lane, slightly in front of us, caught my eye. It was night time but for some reason the driver just caught my attention. He had blond hair, and kept on running his hand through his hair aggressively. As we slowly passed him I watched as he kept wiping his face, switching arms while driving and then running his hand through his hair again.

He looked extremely stressed out. So stressed out that it seemed like something terrible just happened or was about to happen. And I couldn't help but watch him as our car drove by. He even caught the attention of my family friend who paused in the middle of her conversation as she glanced at him.

It just got me thinking. About what he might be going through and the weird thing is, it felt like such a common sight. With the recession and everything going on, from commercials to people we know, those actions showing frustration have become a common almost like symbol.
A symbol of the times the world is going through, families are going through, what our economy was going through.

We all know that's how people express frustration but I feel as though it's become something common in most households. Or at least in many households.

The first thing that popped into my head while watching him was that he probably lost his job. I just felt bad for this random guy driving his car looking as though he had no idea what to do. Couple minutes later I had forgotten about him and went on thinking about my own problems.

And he might have gone on to screaming in his car or driving to his friend's house or tried avoiding the problem. Or he might have gone on and started crying or even gotten into an accident.(insh'Allah/ God-willing hopefully not)

I'll never find out.

I guess there really isn't a point to this post. But thinking back the experience did make me feel insignificant.
To somebody else I'm that guy with the blond hair stressing about my problems and wishing the world would stop and help.
Okay so instead of blond hair I have a scarf. And I'm a girl...despite screaming and sneezing like a guy.

But do you get what I mean?

In those 30 seconds I saw into a stranger's life. I didn't see much but it didn't seem much different from mine. I don't know how his story will end and most of you out there will never know how my story ends.

We've all got our own stories to worry about.
But there's 6.7 billion other stories going on at the same time. Some starting and others ending.

While I feel insignificant and even feel bad for those that need help but can't find any, it feels good to know that each of these stories is at least significant to God. Because they are.

Anyways, regardless if you believe in God or not, I believe everyone you meet has something to offer to your life. Even if it is you glancing into someone else's life for 30 seconds. It all depends on you and what you take away. But it makes our lives feel like threads. And these threads sometimes connect with other ones, or cross each other's path, maybe only once in its entire span or sometimes get knotted together.
Okay I don't know why I'm talking about thread. I mean, I do. But I'm going to stop here before I confuse myself with talk about thread.

There is a song I've wanting to share with everyone for a long time. It's by a group called Outlandish (made up of two muslims and a catholic from Denmark)

To everyone that might take offense to their lyrics, they are not trying to attack American citizens but are trying to shed light to lives that we are ignorant to.

The lyrics of the song are a poem written by a teenager from Palestine.

But this song in my opinion represents voices from many different countries.

Once again, don't sit there and start saying, "How dare they?" or "they don't know anything"

It's a song.
It's meant to inspire us and make us think. And it's true. And I can admit that.

So close your eyes and open your mind. Imagine yourself from a different country under different circumstances. You don't need to agree with everything but take what you can from it. I really was impacted by this song.




Look into my eyes
Tell me what you see
You don't see a damn thing
'cause you can't relate to me
You're blinded by our differences
My life makes no sense to you
I'm the persecuted one
You're the red, white and blue

Each day you wake in tranquility
No fears to cross your eyes
Each day I wake in gratitude
Thanking God He let me rise
You worry about your education
And the bills you have to pay
I worry about my vulnerable life
And if I'll survive another day
Your biggest fear is getting a ticket
As you cruise your Cadillac
My fear is that the tank that has just left
Will turn around and come back

Yet, do you know the truth of where your money goes?
Do you let the media deceive your mind?
Is this a truth nobody, nobody, nobody knows?
Has our world gone all blind?

Yet, do you know the truth of where your money goes?
Do you let the media deceive your mind?
Is this a truth nobody, nobody, nobody knows?
Someone tell me ...

Ooohh, let's not cry tonight
I promise you one day it's through
Ohh my brothers, Ohh my sisters
Ooohh, shine a light for every soul that ain't with us no more
Ohh my brothers, Ohh my sisters

See I've known terror for quite some time
57 years so cruel
Terror breathes the air I breathe
It's the checkpoint on my way to school
Terror is the robbery of my land
And the torture of my mother
The imprisonment of my innocent father
The bullet in my baby brother
The bulldozers and the tanks
The gases and the guns
The bombs that fall outside my door
All due to your funds
You blame me for defending myself
Against the ways of my enemies
I'm terrorized in my own land (what)
And I'm the terrorist?

Yet, do you know the truth of where your money goes?
Do you let the media deceive your mind?
Is this a truth nobody, nobody, nobody knows?
Has our world gone all blind?

Yet, do you know the truth of where your money goes?
Do you let the media deceive your mind?
Is this a truth nobody, nobody, nobody knows?
Someone tell me ...

Ooohh, let's not cry tonight, I promise you one day it's through
Ohh my brothers, Ohh my sisters,
Ooohh, shine a light for every soul that ain't with us no more
Ohh my brothers, Ohh my sisters,

Americans , do you realize that the taxes that you pay
Feed the forces that traumatize my every living day
So if I won't be here tomorrow
It's written in my faith
May the future bring a brighter day
The end of our ways

(pause)


Ooohh, let's not cry tonight, I promise you one day it's through
Ohh my brothers, Ohh my sisters,
Ooohh, shine a light for every soul that ain't with us no more
Ohh my brothers, Ohh my sisters,

[with kids]
Ohh let's not cry tonight I promise you one day is through
Ohh my brothers! Ohh my sisters!
Ooh shine a light for every soul that ain't with us no more
Ohh my brothers! Ohh my sisters!