I have learned the hard way to mind my business, without judging

Opening Scene – Narrated by Host
The café was alive with the quiet murmur of conversation, the flickering light of the overhead lamps casting a soft glow across the room. Jack sat near the window, his cup of coffee barely touched, his mind elsewhere. He stared out at the street, where people passed by unaware of the quiet contemplation unfolding inside.

Across from him, Jeeny sat with her fingers delicately tracing the edge of her cup. Her gaze was steady, her eyes watching Jack as though waiting for him to meet her. There was an unspoken understanding between them, a shared moment of waiting for something important to emerge from the silence.

Host: The stillness between them was palpable, but it was a quiet that spoke volumes. Jack’s thoughts seemed to be wandering deeper than usual, and Jeeny, ever attentive, allowed the space for those thoughts to take root.

Character Descriptions
Jack
In his early 30s, Jack was a man who carried the weight of self-reflection more than most. His grey eyes were sharp, always searching for answers, yet often burdened by doubts. Jack was someone who valued understanding, but his mind was a battlefield between judgment and acceptance. His voice was thoughtful, yet there was a quiet intensity, as if he was constantly questioning whether he could truly see things for what they were.

Jeeny
Late 20s, Jeeny had a quiet strength in her presence. Her dark eyes seemed to reflect an inner peace, but there was a depth to them, a wisdom that invited people to pause and truly think about what they were saying. Her voice was soft, but firm when it needed to be. Jeeny believed in the importance of truth, but she also understood the space it required to unfold fully. She had a gentle way of guiding people to the heart of their own thoughts.

Host
The observer, always silent but attuned to the subtle shifts in the atmosphere. The Host felt the pull between Jack and Jeeny’s words, understanding the deeper undercurrents at play. There was something significant happening beneath the surface—something about truth, judgment, and the space required for them to truly unfold.

Main Debate

Jeeny: She broke the silence, her voice gentle but with a hint of something deeper. “You know, Jack, I’ve been reflecting on something I read recently by Iyanla Vanzant. She said, ‘I have learned the hard way to mind my business, without judging who people are and what they do. I am more troubled by the lack of space being provided for the truth to unfold. Humans cannot seem to wait for or honor the truth. Instead, we make it up based on who we believe people should or should not be.’ What do you think about that?”

Jack: He looked up, his brow furrowing slightly as he processed her words. “It’s interesting, isn’t it? The idea of giving space for truth to unfold. I think we’re often too quick to judge, to categorize people based on our own expectations. But, I don’t know... is it possible to give that space without being too passive? What if we don’t act when we see something that’s wrong?”

Jeeny: “It’s not about being passive, Jack. It’s about allowing the truth to emerge naturally, without forcing it into our own narratives. When we judge too quickly, when we try to force our version of the truth onto someone or something, we rob it of the space to evolve. We confuse our expectations with reality, and in doing so, we miss what’s really going on.”

Jack: “So you’re saying that judgment can cloud the truth? That by making assumptions about people, we don’t actually give the truth the chance to reveal itself in its own time?”

Jeeny: “Exactly. The truth doesn’t need us to rush it, to shape it into something we can control. It’s like we’re trying to make everything fit into a narrative we’ve already created. And in doing so, we overlook the truth as it is—unfolding, messy, and unfiltered. But it requires patience to truly see it.”

Host: The air between them seemed to grow heavier as Jeeny’s words settled. Jack’s eyes shifted, like he was reflecting on something deeper within himself. The quiet of the café felt more profound now, as though the very space around them had grown more open, more receptive to the idea that truth could only be seen when allowed to exist freely.

Jack: “I’ve always thought of truth as something we have to actively seek out, something we have to uncover. But maybe it’s more about creating space for it to naturally emerge. Maybe the real challenge is stepping back long enough to let it unfold instead of imposing what we think should be true.”

Jeeny: “That’s the key, Jack. We’re so caught up in acting, in forcing things to happen according to our timelines and expectations, that we rarely give the truth the time it needs to breathe. But when we allow that space, when we give others the room to show who they truly are, that’s when the truth becomes clearer.”

Climax and Reconciliation

Jack: “I think I’ve been guilty of rushing the truth, of trying to force it into a shape that fits my own beliefs. I’ve been too quick to judge, to decide what’s right or wrong based on what I think should be true.”

Jeeny: “It’s human nature, Jack. We all do it to some degree. But once we recognize that we’re doing it, we can start to give more space—more grace—for the truth to be what it is, not what we want it to be.”

Jack: He exhaled deeply, a small smile forming on his lips. “I see now. It’s not about imposing our ideas of truth onto others. It’s about stepping back and letting the truth be—however it comes, however it unfolds.”

Jeeny: “Exactly. Truth needs space to unfold in its own time. It doesn’t need us to control it, just to witness it and let it guide us.”

Host: The light in the café seemed warmer now, the tension between them having dissipated. Jack’s expression had softened, a sense of quiet understanding settling within him. Jeeny’s smile was knowing, as if she had guided him to see something important—not just about truth, but about the space we need to allow it to unfold in its own time.

Outside, the world continued to move forward, but here, in the café, there was a new sense of openness. Jack had realized that truth could not be rushed or controlled—it could only be witnessed when we allowed the space for it to emerge, free from the constraints of our expectations.