Doing Nothing Does Nothing
Apathy and fear are the two emotions that can keep us from helping others. When we were kids, people did not think twice about coming to the aid of friends, neighbors, even perfect strangers. What’s happened?
Remember when your dad would give his friend a hand in building a dog house or chopping down a tree? Or, the time he helped the neighbor who had trouble trying to carry a piece of furniture down the back steps? And, when dad changed a flat tire for an old man in the pouring rain? I do. These were not isolated cases; things like these happened on a regular basis when I was growing up in Philadelphia.
I learned to cut the widow’s lawn down the street, go chasing after run-away dogs, and was expected to be of service to the community in which in lived. I must say, however, when I was on my own, this kind of activity was pushed to the corner of my mind for quite a while. Fortunately, I later became reacquainted with the concept of service and by being involved I have connected with my fellows once more.
Thinking I was the center of the universe caused me to not see the opportunities to help others; or if I did see them, I chose to overlook such activities as if they were inconveniences. That made for a rather lonely existence at the time. Now, I’m concerned this is the way our society looks at things today. Apathy in practice is: I don’t know and I don’t care.
But the most insidious issue we face, surely one that will stifle the return of helping others, is fear. We are afraid of what people might say about us, afraid of someone reacting violently if we call them on bad behavior or stand up for our rights, and afraid we might be sued. So, the safe decision is to make no decision.
We pre-boomers are old enough not to be tempted by such restrictions and do the right thing. We can let the chips fall were they may. And by doing so, we might teach our grandchildren about the responsibility of lending a helping hand and the joy that comes from it. Maybe our own kids, even though we think they’re too old to change their ways, might pick up on this service concept as well; because you and I know we’re never too old to change.
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