Look away. It's so easy, isn't it???

[FlamingoBlue]

A relationship dies. Your "friends" tell you to get on with your life. Your real friends listen to your pain and offer their support.

You're walking down the street and you see an adult slap a child. You pass on by. Or do you?

A homeless person asks for money. You walk away without looking at them. But for the grace of fate, there go you. Or do you give them some spare change?

A disabled or disfigured person is in the same room with you and you are introduced to them. Do you shake their hand and overlook the disability or do you look for a quick exit?

Recently a very good friend called me and asked me to do him a favor. He needed me to follow him to drop off his car for repair and then to drive him back home. The trip would take about 2 hours. I told him that wasn't a favor because we were friends. And that's what friends are for. A favor, I told him, was if he had asked me for a kidney.

As I read through the threads, today, I reread Ambro's Life 101 as well as the thread about Simply Southern. I also read Cheyenne's thread about cyberspace relationships and the artcle about the Tobacco lobby's cynical position on how smoking helps reduce the population. The articles all brought to mind the kindness, or lack of it, that can be found in everyday life.

Don't get me wrong. I'm far from an angel. But I try to remain sensitive to others around me.

The real beauty of this BB is that it gives us the opportunity to chose whether to look away, or not, from life's experiences. I try not to look away.

blue

 

[Tabby432]

The real beauty of this BB is that it gives us the opportunity to chose whether to look away, or not, from life's experiences. I try not to look away.

And that's the beauty of you. Thank you.

 

[*bratcat*]

 

[Ksss]

Yes, it is easy to look the other way. We get so consumed in our own lives we sometimes forget the ones who have much less than we do.

I have to say I am not one who gives contributions to big associations like the Cancer Society or MS, etc. I would much rather find a person and personally give them the contribution, so I know they are getting the full donation.

Several times at the restaurant I work at we have taken up "funds" and then chosen a local charity to donate to. We have a can which all the staff are required to donate to when they make a mistake. Example: order done wrong, broken dish, etc. We have donated to such charities as Toys for Tots, the local women/child abuse shelter, and CHOW.

The waitress' once pooled some tips and offered up a scholarship to a child who was having problems at school ( the local High school is behind our restaurant and we serve quite a few kids at lunch time). Working with the school was interesting and the child ended up graduating High school instead of dropping out.

The old are our links to the past, without them we wouldn't have any history. Ambrosious' Life 101 thread brought tears to my eyes the first time I read it, and tears again the other day.

To fighters like Simply Southern, my hat goes off to you, I don't know if I would have the courage and stamina to face what you are facing.

It only takes a moment to offer an act of kindness. Perhaps we can all take a few seconds and make our own corner of the world a little nicer. The personal rewards will be great in the end.

 

[FlamingoBlue]

Think about this some more.

blue

 

[Desert Amazon]

 

[White_Tigress_]

I rearely look away, unless it feels like a life threatning situation. For the homeless, I haven't encountered that myself, but it would really depend on where and what time of the day it was. I've learned from my past not to be to sure of people who look needy.

I do however do MANY things that I don't even want mentioned to the people that I have done it for. More like a mirical for those in need. To me, having the heart warming sensation, is to stay a mystery.

 

[beckbabe]

Random acts of kindness still exist. It's not all that bleak.