Idaho Falls

THAT LITTER IS MINE! | CELEBRATE LIFE n IDAHOFALLSMAGAZINE.COM 69 As I glanced down, there it was, a small bright yellow piece of paper lying on the sidewalk of a beautiful park in Idaho Falls. In what seemed like less than a nano- second, dozens of thoughts raced through my mind. Who would litter and not even notice? How careless could they be? Who would be so thoughtless? What an eyesore! The fragrant flowers added intense beauty to this magnificent landscape; summer splendor was abundant but this piece of brightly colored litter is what caught my eye, distracting from the beauty of all the colorful blossoms. Still in that nanosecond of thought, I thought of the motto, "do a good turn daily." It would require little effort and time to pick up and dispose of someone's litter. And so with a sigh, I bent down and picked up the slip, still with thoughts of the inconsiderate negligence of the person who had dropped it. And then I saw it! In bold print my name was printed on that yellow receipt from the Idaho Falls Library! My name! Shocked, it dawned on me that when I crossed that sidewalk a few hours before, I had reached into my purse to retrieve something and the paper must have fallen. That litter was mine! Those unkind thoughts about another really should have been turned to me. My litter had laid on the sidewalk all that time. Mine! Shame on me for thinking unkind thoughts about an unknown stranger being so careless, and shame on me for judging. It was my mistake. It was a simple error yet I had wasted time fretting about it. Picking up the receipt, I went on my way, vowing I would be more tolerant and less judgmental in the future. Not long after that life lesson, a truck pulled out in front of me as I was driving down the highway. With no cars within sight behind me, I was frustrated that he couldn't have waited to pull out from the intersection until I passed. Was he in such a hurry he'd risk putting both of us in harm's way? Why couldn't he have waited a few more seconds? Then, glancing down, I dis- covered that my right blinker was on! He assumed I was going to turn! Because my amplifier was 'on the blink" (pun intend- ed), there was no audio for the blinker to remind me that it was even flashing although I wasn't turning. It was really my error, not his! And I was thinking he was careless and inconsiderate. When you point a finger at another, there are always three fingers pointing back at you. "Judge not that ye be not judged" is profound wisdom taught in the Bible, Matthew 7:1. A song with profound lessons expresses this concept well. The lyrics tell of a person who sees a mote (a tiny piece of a sub- stance) in their friend's eye and offers to pull it out. The man then realizes that he has a much bigger problem than the mote, discovering a beam (a long, sturdy piece of squared timber or metal) in his own eye. A portion of the song includes: 'Once I said unto another, "In thine eye there is a mote; If thou art a friend, a brother, Hold, and let me pull it out." But I could not see it fairly, For my sight was very dim. When I came to search more clearly, In mine eye there was a beam. Others I have oft reproved For an object like a mote; Now I wish this beam removed; Oh, that tears would wash it out!' 'Truth Reflects Upon Our Senses' Text: Eliza R. Snow, 1807-1887; chorus by M. E. Abbey Music: Charles Davis Tillman, 1861-1943 Evaluating my experiences and scrutiniz- ing my inner thoughts, I am committed to becoming more tolerant, less judgmental and kinder with fellow life travelers, and perhaps, too, with myself. Learn more about creating tools to help you keep focused on the joys in your life @ CelebrateWithJoy.com by Susan Stucki, life enthusiast. IF Judgement Call BY SUSAN STUCKI

• Cover