Empathy – It’s the Key to Most Locks in This Life

What is REAL? 

What is “normal”? 

Rick Jetter recently shared a book with me that he wrote for grades 4-8, titled The Isolate /n./. I literally finished the book in a couple of sittings. Honestly, if you have a pulse, this creatively written chapter book will tug at your heartstrings and open your eyes to others’ perceptions; it might even cause your eyes to leak a little. I immediately connected with the characters and wanted to give the protagonist, Samantha, a HUGE squeezy hug. (In fact, I think she and I might be related.) At the onset, Jetter defines isolate /n./ as, “an individual, population, strain or culture, obtained by or resulting from selection or separation.” The main character, Cameron, is a sixth-grade student with autism who underwent a traumatic event that caused him to experience unusual behaviors. Unfortunately, no one was actively seeking to learn Cameron’s story, the REAL him, and how he was coping with the curveball life had unexpectantly thrown his way, except for his classmate and friend, Samantha. Toward the end of the novel, Jetter pens a profound passage through Samantha, 

“I just feel like the world is unfair because everyone doesn’t get a chance to tell their story. Who we are. You know? We don’t go deeper than ‘Hi’, I’m Samantha, and I like pizza and the color red.’ In school, we have to talk about how our summer vacation was. We don’t go deeper because no one lets us. We don’t let ourselves do it, either. Too much pressure. Too much embarrassment. Too much guilt or heartache. Too many expectations to be normal or cool. Right? Yeah…hey…newsflash…no one is really normal…what is normal, anyway?”

Excerpt from The Isolate /n./ by Rick Jetter

How often do we feel isolated or notice others struggling with a sense of loneliness? 

Why might one choose not to show empathy? 

Why might one judge another without fully understanding that individual’s perspective?

I don’t have solutions to all of these questions, but I know this is an actual concern in our world today, in our schools today. Why can’t we just be REAL? Why must one be criticized, because their REAL doesn’t measure up to someone else’s expectation?  

I understand that “my story” is unique to me, and while I once viewed many parts of it as embarrassing, I know it has shaped me into the person I am today. For example, Cameron’s story in The Isolate /n./ had so many layers which made overcoming the “enemies” attacking him mentally and physically cause near defeat. He needed a noble friend and a loving mom to advocate for him. I guess all of my blabberings are simply to say, we would do well to learn more about those around us instead of making assumptions. 

Empathy–it’s the KEY to most locks in this life. 

How might we teach students to show compassion and seek to understand the individuality of others? Besides, if you strip one’s title, money, possessions, and status we are all merely humans with a REAL story.