|
||||||||
| Give a little bit... |
|
| Dec 13, 2005 at 12:37 PM | |
 At Christmas time, we tend to be more generous than usual. We give a little bit of our money, a little bit of our time, and we generally try not to be our regular selfish selves. I think that sucks. I think it’s a shame that we need Christmas to remind us how fortunate we are. I think we should be generous all the time. But I suppose we are somewhat greedy by nature. Note that I’m generalizing throughout this article so don’t be offended or pipe up and scream “Hey! Not all people are like that you know!” Yes, I know. I whish I could say I am one of them, but I’m really not. I mean, I look back at the last few years and think of what I have done for other people. Then I look at what I have done for myself. And then it hits me! I’ve always thought of myself as a generous person but… did I give a donation to Tsunami victims? Nope. Did I help out in anyway with the New Orleans disaster? Nope. I just watched it all unfold before my eyes on my 25 inch TV whishing that I actually had a 60 inch widescreen TV. How fucking lame is that? I travel a lot for work. I usually end up in beautiful Ottawa. And every time I go, I walk the streets and someone will ask me for money, or for food, or a coffee. It’s become so normal for me to see this picture that it doesn’t inspire me anymore. And it’s not just me. It’s a lot of people. Yet there’s nothing funny about living in poverty. I wouldn’t know first hand, but I do know that I never took the time to buy a warm coffee for the poor lady because I was rushing to a meeting, freezing my ass off in my Helly Hanson coat, my winter boots, my gloves and hat, and wanting to get inside where it’s warm. Yet this person, dresses in rags, spends the entire winter outside. Yet it’s all normal… You know, I really hate myself when I read this back from the top. I’m an ass. And most of you, like me, are asses. Selfish, ludicrous assholes. But I guess it’s normal. On the other hand, it is not the responsibility of a single person to solve world hunger so maybe I’m a little hard on myself and perhaps a bit harsh towards you. But the question remains; what am I going to do about it. This year, I’ve decided to sponsor a poor family and my wife is doing the same thing through her workplace. We’ll also be visiting our local food banks to see what items they need the most and we’ll go and buy them. And like a lot of people, we’ll do our thing for a day and feel like a million dollars. And then we’ll likely go back to our good old selfish lives. That’s a reality of our society. It’s not a good thing as Martha would put it, but at least it’s something right? In an ideal world, we would behave generously throughout the year, but this isn’t an ideal world is it? I work hard everyday, and that’s mostly because I want to be able to spoil myself. I don’t want the burden of supporting those who perhaps didn’t make the right choices in their lives. But would it kill me to buy someone a coffee once in a while? Or to bring someone to MacDonalds once a month and tell them to pick a combo? Would it really change anything in my lifestyle? Yet I don’t do it. I sit on my ass all day, and walk the streets with my eyes closed, choosing not to see how difficult life really is, ignoring the fact that I am one of the lucky ones who has a place to sleep and plenty to fill my belly and who will likely soon be the proud owner of a big screen TV. I am one of many. We all have the same problem. We are making the wrong choices. Life is about choices. Our choices got us to where we are today. Why can’t we make the obvious choices when it comes to helping out those in needs? Why can’t we shove our pride in a cupboard and take the time to smile at people, to thank people, to give them a hand when they need one? How did we get to the point where it’s normal to walk by a person wrapped up in cardboard in cold winter night and not care? My dear friends, I urge you to look at your life differently. Stop crying about the things you want and can’t have. Instead, celebrate what you do have and what you have accomplished in your life. And please, take a few minutes to help out someone who sees a mere cup of coffee as something rare, as something they have difficulty of getting on their own. Because for every single thing you take for granted, there’s 10 people out there who struggle every day. That’s actually just a random number, but I’m sure you get the point. Regardless of your beliefs, whether you celebrate Christmas or you don’t, dig into your pockets a little, spend time with those who live in loneliness, read a book to a kid, smile at people and watch them smile back at you! Even if it doesn’t last year round, at least make an effort for the rest of this month. In fact, I challenge all who read this to treat a homeless person with a fast food combo by the end of the month. You don’t have to bring them in. Just ask them what they want, go buy it, and bring it back. And if you do, then I want you to post about the experience. I want you to tell me how they reacted and how it made you feel. Oh FYI, if someone gets shot, stabbed or injured in anyway by attempting this challenge, I’m not responsible! Merry fucking Christmas everyone!             |
|
| Last Updated ( Feb 08, 2006 at 03:12 PM ) |
| <Previous | Next> |
|---|