Life Lesson: People Are People

People are people.

I know ... duh. But think about it. Every person that you see walking down the street is a real person, with a real life.

They have families. Maybe that woman has a 2 year-old daughter at home who loves ponies and dancing. Maybe that man goes golfing with his brother every Friday. Maybe those children live with their grandma and grandpa who are loving but don't understand "kids these days."

They have relationships. Maybe that girl just got asked out for the first time, or just got her first kiss. Maybe that guy just found out his girlfriend was cheating on him. Maybe she was just proposed to a week ago. Maybe that old man has lived 50 happy years with his wife.

They have jobs. Maybe he spends hours at the office, wishing he could be doing something else. Maybe he is a middle school teacher, with a passion for teaching kids history. Maybe she is a college student, studying to become a chemical engineer. Maybe that teen works a minimum wage job, struggling to earn enough to pay for gas.

They have dreams. Maybe that woman has always wanted to own her own bakery. Maybe that man wants to one day travel to Europe, or to Australia. Maybe that little girl wants to be a ballerina. Maybe that college student just wants to find true love.

They have struggles. This is probably the most important thing to remember - you are not the only one in the world with struggles. Every person you see has a life, and sometimes horrible things happen in that life. Be considerate. I know it's cliche, but what you say or do really can make or break someone's day; you don't know what they're going through, so be careful and give the benefit of the doubt.

You don't need to complain excessively about a parking ticket - maybe the guy in the desk next to you just found out his daughter is doing drugs. Your waitress might be taking a long time, but maybe she's tired from working a double shift to pay for repairs on her car, which was totaled by a drunk driver. You don't need to sigh, "Kill me now!" when you find out about an exam in your class - the boy sitting next to you may be suffering from clinical depression or maybe his cousin committed suicide. You may have been cut off in traffic or cussed out on the street, but maybe that girl is hurting inside from living years with an abusive father. I'm not saying that your problems are any less important or painful, but just remember that other people have problems too.

People are people. They are more than just faces or bodies passing by. They have lives, lovers, likes and dislikes. They have jobs, friends, and families. They have joys in their lives, and they have pain. Remember that, the next time you are out in public. It's an obvious fact, yet far too easy to forget. People are people - so be considerate, and always do what you can to make their day a little better. You don't know what is happening in their life.