Acknowledgment is everyone’s first step

In the busy streets of a metropolitan downtown, people are coming and going quickly. No one has time to stop and take a moment for a hello or a goodbye. The only things that seem to be without motion are buildings. There’s a need to get somewhere quickly. No time to waste.

It’s at least what I experienced seeing recently on a trip to Atlanta, Georgia. The humidity of the South, mixed with the diversity of a community rich in lively music and savory food, all made it for a memorable few days in the Peach State.

I had oxtails for the first time. They were good, and so were the fried green tomatoes.

A stroll through noisy downtown streets, people passed me on both sides. I walked slowly to take notice of every detail. The name of streets and the historic markers, they say a lot about a community. As I made my way by a public park, a man came up to me asking me to stop and listen. He looked like a homeless person asking for money.

What he didn’t do at first was ask for money. He asked me just to stop and pay attention. Clearly frustrated, he was tired of being ignored and expressed his anger at how everyone just passes him by without wanting to hear a word he…