Sarah Schnitker

What an amazing story from Dave.

But I think the story just tells us that for true human connection, we often have to practice a bit of patience and that just how much we can miss in the lives of others when we're rushing and

going so quickly.

And I think it's just profound how Dave was still, even though he started out impatient, when that bid for connection came from this woman who had lost her husband recently, Dave was able to turn around and

And say, oh, wait a minute, there's much more at stake here than the few minutes it might take me to get this woman sorted and help her out.

And I think so often kind of in our polarized society and in our disconnected and highly lonely society.

I wonder how much is really not a lack of empathy, but a lack of patience with each other that prevents us from making those true connections that are so important for our own well-being and that of others in our community.

I think that is such a great point, Shankar, that

we're always making stories in our heads about other people.

And I'm often disappointed in myself that my story doesn't give the other person the benefit of the doubt.

And it's not always a compassionate story or a story that helps me think about this person as kind of a human being with dignity, how easy it is to go with a negative story.

And I think...

One of the ways that we often train for patients is to engage in cognitive reappraisal or training ourselves to think differently about things.

And I think

This brings up a great opportunity when we find ourselves impatient to say, what might be a different story than the one to recognize the story I have in the moment?

And to just ask myself the question, will it be a different story that would make me understand this scenario from a different perspective?

And partly that brings a curious orientation, which can help with patience.

But I think...

In my experience, when I've taken the time to go deeper to the different story and actually ask the person, there are some deep backstories that just make so much more sense and help us to recognize we're all human beings with limitations and with griefs and with sadness and that the world is a better place if we actually practice patience with each other.

I also feel for Lauren and my heart goes out to her and just, this is not an uncommon experience, especially for people in midlife when they're facing transitions.