Service with a Smile (sort of)
The question: Why do you find the same faces in service?
This is a question I don't have the answer to. I have some theories, but am pretty sure there has to be more to it than my speculations. Because if only those assumptions were true, we could find a solution to our shortage on selfless actions.
My theories:
1) There is a very small group of people that happen to be passionate about people (that is, people other than themselves). And since that group is small, you see the same people doing all the work in the many different service projects there are.
Aside: "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." ~Margaret Mead. Though I believe that quote, I also believe that if you have a small, committed group, after a long enough period of time they will get burnt out. Then there will be no one to take their place. And where will we be?
2) People are too selfish to care. They are satisfied with feeling justified in their supposedly already 'busy' lives by saying there's just not enough time to help. Yet the reason there's no more time is because they spent all their time on themselves, their families, their obligations, their work. Is there a theme here? (here's a clue: count how many times you see "their" above)
3) There are no new projects to help with. Okay, that was sarcasm. People are full of excuses as to why they don't spend time in service. But why does anyone feel the need to excuse their actions? Most of the time excuses are used is when something wrong was done.
Assuming these theories were true, you would think we could use them to create a better situation. To overcome a problem you need to understand why there is a problem. The problem in this case is that there are not enough people helping others. And that yields a ton of other problems I don't really want to go into. But I can't understand WHY that problem even exists. There are so many rewards that come with helping others. You feel good about what you've done, they feel good because you've met a need that maybe they couldn't, others are inspired...there are just so many positives. So I just don't get it.
And honestly, I'm sick of guilting individuals into doing things that are good for other people. I'm tired of convincing friends, acquaintances, and strangers to do the right thing. I'm fed up with coercing the richly blessed to sacrifice for the sake of the less fortunate. I'm exhausted at the attempt of doing it all by myself. And I hate the fact that I've mentioned "I" seven times in this paragraph when this issue is not about me at all! It's bigger than me, and its bigger than you.
posted by Priscilla @ 11:01 PM
3 Comments:
And sometimes the greatest givers don't speak, they just do....
4)Sometimes the people most willing to give or volunteer or whatever are turned away by those who claim to be giving. There is nothing more discouraging to someone wanting to step up than being told that they aren't needed/wanted. Not that this is an excuse to NOT helping others, but it is something that I'm sure many people (including yourself) has seen happen.
And then there's the flip-side (sort of) to that. If someone is dismissed out of hand at once place, some will find other places to serve, and then a little while later you'll look at the original place (that turned them away) and very few people are helping any more.
Okay, that was rambly, I know, but I think you get the point. ;-)
The conclusion that I have come to is that you have to do the best you can, and not worry about what everyone else is doing. If you try to get others to do things that they are not sincerely interested in doing, they will not be truly committed and you will be disappointed and frustrated. Plus, you do not truly know what other people's obligations and lives hold. You cannot hold them to your standards. They may have other activities that you don't know about that are they doing for others.
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