A Single Moment

     What is it that we see when we look at people? What is the first thing you notice when you meet someone? Is it the hair or maybe it's what they're wearing? When I meet someone for the first time, I notice their eyes first. You can see a lot about a person when you look into their eyes. There is a wide range of emotions that comes from it. If you really want to know a person, you look into their eyes.

      Once in a while, I go to Ala non meetings for a little support and to give a little support to those who need it. When it's a birthday meeting the Ala non group and the AA group comes together to celebrate individuals sobriety. It's really a wonderful support system for those who need it. A new person came into the meeting that night. It was one of the few times a person instantly gave me the chills. I looked into his eyes and could hate and anger. It was hidden behind the fake smile he gave the group. Two weeks later the man was arrested for spousal abuse and attempted man slaughter. She was so injured, and beaten so bad that they rushed her to a bigger hospital. I went there to visit her. I brought her magazines and pictures of her children which she couldn't look at because her face was so bruised her eyes were swollen shut. I hated being right about the man. She is now recovered, but she is still skittish when it comes to men. What he took from her was more than just a loss of control. He stole her ability to trust herself.

      That ability to trust yourself is one of the most instincts we have as people. It's a little voice in their heads or a feeling in your stomach that says stop, don't do that; somethings coming. It's an instinct we are all born with. The ability to trust yourself is at its purest when you're a child. I always watch my little ones reactions to people when they are first introduced. They always see the truth.

The following was sent to me by a woman named Angela Morrell Arnold. I have had several conversations with her. She is a wonderful person with a heart of gold. I have a hard time seeing anything mean coming from her.

Angela Morrell Arnold

In 1996, my daughter, her boyfriend & I use to go to Salt Lake to visit her boyfriends sister & brother-in-law. The Apartment manager lived across the hall & I thought he was scary. One visit, my daughter was giving me a tattoo on my boob (yep!). She couldn't get the shading to where she was happy with it. The brother-...in-law told us to go across the hall to "scary" Mark. I normally would have stayed away! I got a happy giddy feeling, went over, got his advice. I have a beautiful tattoo and Mark & I were married 6 weeks later! Glad I followed that instinct!

      When you really look into someones eyes, and trust your own instincts, wonderful things happen. If someone takes that ability, it takes a part of a their soul. It causes self doubt and feelings of worthlessness. There is enough in this world that causes that without us doing it to one another. When I look into someones eyes, I really look, I trust my gut and go with it. I prey everyday that my friend will be able to do that again one day. She deserves to be happy and more than anything, she deserves to have her trust in herself. We all deserve that.

      Like I said earlier, I look into the eyes first. I trust my gut when it comes to what I see. Always follow your gut. There is a reason you feel what you feel. Oh how different my life would be today, if I had only trusted myself.  With time, comes wisdom, mistakes are made, lessons are learned. They will be fewer if you trust your gut!!