Empathy

December 26empathy,overheated bird,bluebonnet swamp

I am thankful for empathy. Empathy is the capacity to recognize the emotions of others and feel those emotions so as to identify with others. Robert Heinlein coined a word "grok" in one of my favorite novels Stranger in a Strange Land to be one with another. I think that the word empathy is as close to that as is humanly possible. I think if people would always empathize with others that they would get along so much better.

My sister and I were touring the Bluebonnet Swamp in Baton Rouge last year when we saw this bird on the porch of the main building. It was obviously struggling. It was a rather hot day and we realized that it was overheated. Somebody poured the water on it so it could cool down. It was pretty much revivied. I thought it was a great example of empathy so I used it for today's photo.

empathy

if there was just one thing in this world

that i would so much like to see

it is that all people everywhere

were connected by empathy.

© rt tulley

grok

robert a heinlein brought us this new word

it was in stranger in a strange land

a word that meant to become one with another

yours is mine and mine is your hand

it had such a great meaning

one that was not to be the absurd

but grok has not seemed to catch on for

it sounds bad as a four letter word.

© rt tulley