This is unusual for me, posting 3 blogs in a week. I've been trying to keep steady and do "Blog Tuesday" because it's not normally one of my walking days (it was this week, because of Memorial Day), but I've been super inspired this week. What can I say?
Despite my previous declaration to try and kick FB to the curb, I'm fighting my addiction heavily. It calls to me. Really, I need to get my butt off of it. Today as I scrolled, I saw one of those "click this link for this article" posts, so I clicked the link, because it was about the 60 most hard-hitting ad campaigns for social issues...and as I scrolled down, I thought some of them were very clever. And then came the one that screamed at my heart. It was a picture of a homeless woman holding her clearly-sick son. Both were disturbingly skinny, but hunger always hurts the kids before it hurts adults. Around the mother and son were at least 20 arms, with their hands all making the "thumbs up" sign. The caption was "liking this doesn't fix it." Ouch. How many times have I seen causes and issues posted on FB, and if I did anything at all, it was probably a like? If I walked up to someone in need right now and flashed them a thumbs up sign, I've done something worse than just ignoring it; I acknowledged the problem and did NOTHING. As Husband says, "Yeah, that and a dollar will get me a cup of coffee."
This whole issue is 2 sided. After reading Atlas Shrugged, I'm sorta torn on the whole issue. I mean, in a sense they're 2 separate issues, but they still tie in together. Welfare has become a joke. I get that there are people out there that are genuinely going through a hard time and just need a bit of help to get on their feet again, but I see SO many stories in the news of welfare fraud, entitlement, and people pleading their case for the public to pay for their wedding. People have become lazy and entitled. We are not entitled to happiness. We are entitled to the PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS. That doesn't mean you get to sit on your butt while others are working hard to pay for something that you've done nothing to earn, and meanwhile they don't get to have their dreams because they're too busy paying for yours. There is a massive pride in enjoying the fruits of your LABOR. Try it sometime.
G's dad and stepmom recently allowed a friend who had fallen on hard times to stay with them. I got a text from her stepmom, letting me know so that G didn't say awkward things when I talked to her. No big deal; I thought it was generous. This "friend" came to stay on a Thursday. By Saturday, he'd disappeared, stealing several things of high value (and a few not so expensive items) on his way out the door. This man was given MERCY from someone who owed him nothing, and he showed his gratitude by giving them a mess of legal work and police reports with which to deal. It makes one not want to help anyone anymore? Not that long ago, I was overtaken by a very bold beggar, and because I have a compassionate heart, I gave her a ride. She asked for it on the grounds that she would give me $20, she just needed a ride to get her meds. I didn't give her the ride to get the money, because that's not how I roll, but when she came out to my vehicle, after wanting to use my phone and demanding I GIVE her various items in my van, she asked me for $10. People like that ruin kind hearts. I was genuinely terrified; my knife was in the handle of my door, my phone was wedged under my leg, and I wished harder than anything that I hadn't let her in my car. Neither of my kids was with me or I wouldn't have agreed no matter what she said, and she wouldn't have asked if Husband was with me (they never do; perks of marrying a tall dude). I will NEVER give a bum a ride again, not by myself or with anyone else in the car. In joking she said she'd never take food out of a child's mouth, but she would surely take it out of my mouth. Seriously? It's disgusting!
There is something to be said for human generosity. I have, many times, fished for what small change I could find when I found someone on the side of the road; I've given a bum a sandwich. But I can't just open my home and life to random people on the street anymore; it's not safe. My compassionate, soft heart has officially gotten me into trouble and now it's a bit scarred, and probably less compassionate and soft. Isn't that sad?
There's nothing more scary than the phrase, "For the greater good." Do you know what that involves? Sacrifice of a few for the many. What if you're one of the few? Are you going to give a flying fart in space about the many if someone wants to do science experiments on you, hold a gun to your head, do awful things to you, all in the name of "benefitting society at large?" Humans are programmed for fight or flight. It's a defensive reaction. If we can't get away, we'll fight back until we're free or dead. If we can, tootles! But when someone appeals to our better nature to sacrifice ourselves for the greater good, we can't exactly lean on that, because we've basically thrown down all defense and become the lamb on the sacrificial altar. Do what you want to me; because it might save someone who doesn't actually care what happened to me in the first place! I would throw my life down in a heartbeat for my kids. My husband. My family. I don't know how I'd be with a complete stranger.
So there's a line to be drawn, and I think it differs from person to person. Where do you start doing what you can to protect yourself, and where do you start opening up to others that may or may not deserve it?
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