The term mediation stands to mean that one must intervene in a dispute in hopes of solving it. Why is mediation important when we have been raised by our parents to “keep our noses clean” and to not get involved?
Why should one bother to intervene in another’s problems if it will only inconvenience the person not initially involved? Why would we take other’s problems as our own, when we already may have so many?
It’s important to intervene and get involved in any and all situations you deem unjust in your surroundings.
1. You have the power to make a difference and you have the power to leave a strong impact on the oppressors.
I recently experienced a situation in which two women completely unrelated from me were having a strongly heated dispute in the middle of a quiet mall. The aggravated and afflicted words came from a young cashier, whom had coincidentally been my cashier as I checked out from her store. The young lady was in a quarrel with an older woman.
I heard the young cashier mention that she had never been so insulted before in her life and that she always did her best to speak to all of her customers in a helpful and positive manner.
Due to the fact that the young cashier seemed very shaken by the event, I was drawn to step in when I suddenly felt that something very wrong might happen. Speaking to both of the ladies did not take long, because I proceeded to ask the older woman to go on about her business, that nothing would be solved and only hurtful words might be said.
The young cashier then confided in me that the older lady had been her customer in her store, which shall remain anonymous because it will serve no purpose in this article.
However, the young lady whom had been the one afflicted by the dispute told me that her customer had had an issue with the way she was dressed, and had even resorted to terms of harassment in hopes of putting the cashier down.
In this case, the importance of mediation came to my mind instantly. I was faced with a situation in which I was no part of.
2. The dispute did not have to do with me in the slightest, yet I understood briefly that it was highly unjust.
To see women fighting amongst themselves because of derogatory terms that have been thrown around at each other is a direct example of the influence of society and its standards. To put it in perspective, the young lady had been at work, therefore her clothes were upheld by her employer’s standards. The young cashier had done nothing wrong to be deserving of harassment.
Despite the fact that this situation had nothing to do with me, I felt it in my soul how unfair the young lady had been treated, and without my intervening I am unsure if the problem would had escalated. The women had been able to go their separate ways, and the cashier had been calmed down because a stranger had extended a helping hand.
3. The experience inspired me to explore the importance of mediation. As individuals with a heart and a mind alike, everyone needs a little help. Everyone needs to be understood and heard.
If you are ever faced with a conflict, do not become a bystander simply because the situation has nothing to do with you. Do not be afraid that you may become hurt in the process. Trust that you are acting on all of the right and genuine intentions and the universe will help you help your neighbor.
Do not continue to allow evil to succeed because you did not stand up and say something, or stand up and fight when you had seen your opportunity to do so.
It is important to help each other out in modern day more than ever when our society preaches that there are equal rights for all, but the statement is vague and not clearly seen.
