Empathy Tours

Rainbow Gathering

In a shaded forest where dim sunlight plays peek-a-boo with the dark green leaves, all sorts of people begin to appear. Beaded braids, rainbow colored t-shirts, pants or headbands, long skirts, scraggly beards, unique insignias plastered on skin, a few scattered marijuana pipes, and half naked (or fully naked) humans are all part of the scenery. These people ideally congregate in the barren wilderness to promote peace, love and harmony. Recently however, things have gotten out of hand at these annual meetings. In her article, Grace Wyler interviews a rainbow spokesman who reflects on the recent changes;

"The crowds has changed," said Savoye, with a  touch of sadness. "For many years, the Gatherings were against the use of drugs, except maybe a little pot. Partly, that was to preserve a sense of community. Now, we're dealing with kids who come to gatherings and use drugs to incite violence. And the Rainbow Family is not really set up to deal with that kind of behavior. "

Admission, food and activities are all cost-free, though the rainbow family is expected to help with general chores around camp like cooking (WARNING: graphic content). Gatherings occur annually on each continent, excluding Antartica. Hobos, hippies, nomads, tree-lovers, junkies, philosophers, lovers and outcasts all rendezvous at these global gatherings in hopes of finding peace and love. They are plainly a group of people who listen and help each other, kind of like a giant therapy group. They think, "I will listen to his [or her] sadness, even when I'm deep in my own. " Though there have been passive gatherings in the past, it is not surprising how these gatherings would attract the more dangerous in their attempt to escape normality. This world is a strange, cruel place and sometimes we all just crave comfort in the crazy. Before judging them, we have to look inside ourselves..."At the exit, there is sunlight and clean air. This is something. But you catch sight of yourself in the darkened glass of your minivan - your cheeks black, neck black, lips black- and the truth is you look like a devil too."

Works Cited

"Love, Bums, And Drum Circles: Postcards From A Modern-Day Hippie Paradise". Vice. N. p., 2017.               

          Web. 8 May 2017.

"Rainbow Gathering". Spokesman.com. N. p., 2010. Web. 8 May 2017.

"The Dark Side Of The Rainbow Gathering". Vice. N. p., 2017. Web. 8 May 2017.

"The Empathy Exams". Leslie Jamison. N. p., 2017. Web. 8 May 2017.

Savoye, Rob. Rainbow Family of Living Light Unofficial Home Page. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 May 2017. 

Empathy Exams

Paragraph:

"Empathy isn't just something that happens to us- a meteor shower of synapses firing across the brain- it's also a choice we make: to pay attention, to extend ourselves. It's made of exertion, that dowdier cousin of impulse. Sometimes we care for another because we know we should, or because it's asked for, but this doesn't make our caring hollow. The act of choosing simply means we've committed ourselves to a set of behaviors greater than the sum of our individual inclinations: I will listen to his sadness, even when I'm deep in my own. To say going through the motions - this isn't reduction so much as acknowledgement of effort - the labor, the motions, the dance - of getting inside another person's state of heart or mind" (Jamison, 23). 

This passage, not only standing out as exceptionally well-written (seems almost like flowing poetry), teaches us a lot about empathy. I always felt guilty because when I offered to listen to or help someone, it felt forced. I never felt like I was doing it simply for the act of being a good person. This made me feel very guilty, and I felt that I should genuinely care about helping. Jamison states quite the opposite, that the act itself is empathy. That the act of helping outweighs individual inclination. I especially liked her sentence: "I will listen to his sadness, even when I'm deep in my own." Even if you had second thoughts about helping, and are just listening someone talk about their troubles, you are there and that is all that matters. She emphasizes that being there is very important. When she was going through the process of her abortion, she was alone and nobody was really there for her. I have been at points in my life when I feel like nobodies there (I still feel that way today). However, one can help someone else by being there, even if that person was not there for you, you can help that person. It is confusing yet reassuring lesson on empathy and I learned a lot from this single paragraph.