The Angels and Demons That Walk Among Us

There’s a saying that angels walk among us.

I truly believe that.

There are people who are just pure light who brighten up our days. They can be family and friends. They could be coworkers and strangers. These people are helpful, kind, and supportive.

I’ve learned that there are demons that walk among us too.

The people who enjoy seeing others in misery and torment. They want to spread negativity and chaos. Instead of lifting you up, they want to tear you down. They take pride in seeing others in pain and aren’t afraid to stoke the fire.

I’ve thought about this for years. I’ve shared this idea with close friends. Some agree. Some laugh it off. Some think I’m becoming overtly religious. None of it is true. Or maybe some of it is.

This thought came back to me because of an exchange with a person this morning.

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I was walking my dog, enjoying the start of a beautiful day. The sun was shining. The sky was cloudless, having the brightest of blues. And there was a slight chill in the air that often makes early morning walks for me all the more enjoyable.

My dog and I are slow walkers. We take our time. I let her sniff and stare at whatever catches her fancy. Often it’s birds or a car backing up the driveway. I give her these moments.

Watching her often reminds me about being more present in my moments.

We continued on our walk, blissfully unaware that a person was about to turn a bright start to the day into a dreary one.

A woman with her dog crosses the street to the side we’re on.

My dog is minding her business as she usually does. She’s gentle and kind. Doesn’t bark. Doesn’t want to bother with other dogs unless they, too, are calm and collected.

My dog notices the woman with her dog who is about 50 feet from us, so my dog stares for a bit but goes back to sniffing, as all dogs enjoy doing.

I gestured, letting her know my dog was trained and friendly.

The woman screams at me to get out of her way. She proceeds to say her dog isn’t friendly. And just stands there waiting for us to move.

I said we might be here for a while.

This person starts commenting on how slow we walk and why my dog just stands there doing nothing.

I calmly said, I let her be and she can’t walk too fast.

She starts screaming for us to walk faster. And then shouts angrily, “I don’t have time for that.”

I asked, why did you cross the street towards us?

She picks up her dog and starts walking in the middle of the street. Still yelling at me.

I loudly said to her, I wish you have a nice day. She got so angry. And began saying things I couldn’t even hear. I think my mind has learned to tune it out.

She made her turn at the corner. I’m assuming towards her house. My dog and I continued on our way, crossing the street. The woman then yells, “Oh, now you want to walk.”

I got angry. I wanted to yell back. I wanted to fight if I could. Then I just looked at my dog sniffing and said to myself I need to mind my business.

I AM the one who doesn’t have time for people like that.

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As we made our way home, I just thought of this woman playing the role of the demon in my life this morning, testing me, trying to hurt me, spreading her anger, hoping my day would be ruined.

But, as I normally do, I start thinking about how better I could have handled the situation. Should I have said something more? Should I have given her the energy she was giving me with the hopes of a lesson? Should I have tried explaining why we walk slowly?

None of that would have mattered. I still thought it though.

I wondered if this woman was okay. Is she stressed? Is she going through something? What’s going on in her life that she’s lashing out at strangers?

Then, I felt sorry for her. I don’t know her. It’s the first time I’ve seen her and her dog. But I geniunely felt sorry for her. And I whispered into the air, I wish her day gets better.

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As I got to my door, it dawned on me how our bad days can affect other people. It affects the people we love. The strangers we meet.

What we do and say affects human beings.

And that is why I am doing the interpersonal work to better myself so that I can affect people’s lives for the better. To be their angel.

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Hi, I’m Jason. Thanks for reading. I write topics based on the human experience, self-reflection, and personal growth. I’m also a bestselling author of two books, Happy Money Happy Life and You Only Live Once.