What if we looked at life through the eyes of a child?  Always seeing wonder in every little thing.  Always asking questions about things we didn’t understand without being afraid of people thinking we’re not smart but because we just wonder about something. Free to wonder and then take action on that wonder.  Like, what does it feel like to lay down on a football field?  Well, try it.

What if we looked at life without looking at or through a device? What if we looked at real fireworks or balloons instead of looking at them through our screens?  What if we took real field trips instead of virtual ones?  What would happen if we turned off our devices and actually looked at each others faces instead of pictures of faces on social media? What if we took out the earbuds and took off the headphones and listened to each other and the sounds around us rather than block them out?

What if we initiated more things?  What if we initiated Sunday dinners with friends and/or family?  What would happen if we initiated difficult conversations instead of trying to avoid them?  What if we initiated doing kindnesses for people instead of just talking about it?  What if we stood up and said what we believed was right, even when it was uncomfortable?

What if we tried to see the lessons in every situation we find ourselves in?  Yesterday I made a mistake and got on a wrong bus to head downtown for the game.  Seeing as there was nothing I could do about it, I sat back for the ride which was going to be longer than I expected.  About halfway through the trip, the obvious smell of alcohol drifted in with a young man and his toddler daughter.  Sitting in front of me, he said hi and then began a conversation.  From this conversation I learned that he had just lost his step-father and bio-mother within the past month, his mother from an overdose.  I told him how sorry I was, thinking about his baby girl and wondering if this addiction would eventually pass  down to her.

After our conversation, which included  questions about my children, my age and whether I had every smoked, smoked weed or drank, I found out that I’m the same age his mother was – he thought I was 40.  I’m assuming it was based on how his mom looked at 60.  Life must have been hard.  He shook my hand as he left and wished me a good day. I prayed for him and his daughter as I saw them sit down, waiting on their transfer.  What if I caught the wrong bus so I could pray for them?

What if we got to know PEOPLE, not solely based on their religious background, political persuasion or any one of dozens of categories we pigeon hole people in? What if we found out we had similar likes in art or music, we loved the same sports or foods and we made a friend?  What if we continued to be friends despite a difference in philosophies or belief systems?  It could happen, you know.

What if we stopped making assumptions based on someone’s geographical location, background or the way they looked?  What if we actually talked to them to find out who they were before we made assumptions? I sound like one of my kids at school.  There can be so many “what if” questions.

What if we continued to ask “what if” and acted upon some things for a change?  Maybe the world would be a better place.