The Golden Rule Still Applies...

...Unless You're A Sado-Masochist*

I have trouble resolving my a) desire to make a change in the lives of those less fortunate than myself and b) my incredibly cynical, skeptical perspective. One day I want to give away all my money and help the little old lady who's living on a fixed income, all of it (gone before she sees it paying for health-care premiums and filling prescriptions) and gets a minuscule $10 in food stamps each month. She tells me she's okay. "Honey, I get by. Just eat cheap; a little bread, a little water". It makes me want to cry and send her a tear-stained check. I can put off Starbucks for a month and she could have something other than bread and water for dinner next week. The next day I hear about those cheating on taxes, lying to get benefits they don't deserve, stealing food for their already bloated bellies and I want to rant and rave about how dishonest people are and how our society is full of liars and cheats.

I can't comprehend the people that ignore the need in the world with a social-Darwinian attitude or those that brush over the deception with a "that's the way the world works so just let it be". While I embrace -and at times, love- my broken world, I subconsciously long for something better, something perfect, something where the cheaters are always caught and those that are truly hungry are always fed.

That being said, here's a shameless plug: Next week is National Volunteer Week. Take a day or an hour and support your community and those in need around you. Or even take five minutes or 30 seconds to show a random act of kindness and brighten someone's day.
__________________

*I just couldn't resist. You can thank the following website for the title: Humorous Volunteerism Anecdotes