Living in a culture that is male-dominated to the extreme, it's fun to catch little glimpses where the tables are turned.
Last night, while walking my dog in the park, there was a middle-aged woman, teaching two middle-aged men how to ballroom dance on the rollerblade court. It was obvious they had much less experience than her. And wonder of wonders, they were listening to her every word. Trying to immitate her every gesture, rather than telling her how it should be done, even though they knew nothing about it.
I smiled (a little gleefully I'll admit), as I quietly observed the planet earth turn upside down, and the Asian concept of face fall from the two gentlemen unheeded, as they openly allowed themselves to be teachable. To be taught.
Don't get me wrong. I'm not looking for the tides to turn, and females to dominate, to domineer. I'm looking for honesty. I'm looking for teachability.
If we can actually bring ourselves, men or women, to the point where we can admit that we don't know it all, that we can learn from another person, how free we would feel! How wise we would become!
As a westerner, I often hear this concept preached, but rarely see it practiced. I can feel the chagrin when I correct someone on some meaningless fact that I just happen to know more about. I can feel myself fight the chagrin when someone corrects me, and I know they're right. As a friend of mine once said, "Anyone who is willing to admit something about themselves nowadays, is GOLD for those of us who are searching."
If you, like I, are feeling a bit jaded about the lack of teachability in the world, and would love to hear someone who agrees with you, check out the Bible's take on this in the first chapter (and maybe even the second) of Proverbs. If you're searching for the source of that GOLD, you will find it here:
Just get ready to find out you may also have two left feet you never knew about, and find your toes getting stepped on.
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