It's one of those "right place at the right time" things. I was having a drink with a coworker yesterday and while speaking of the state of Michigan football, a gentleman sitting next to us joined our conversation. He did some part time teach at the School of Ed. Long story short, the guy was a Michigan man. Turns out, the guy is a bigshot and I found my company a potential client. Right place at the right time.
Which brings me to a conversation I was having with wilty early this year. Why us? Our whole lives are a "right place at the right time" moment. There are over 6 billion people in this world and the large majority of these people will never have the life or the opportunity that we will have. What are the odds that we were born into the privileged minority? Could it be a mere coincidence?
And I ask myself... Why me? Why am I so selfish? I've thought about dropping everything and moving to somewhere I can really make a difference. But I am weak. I can't, no, I'm too selfish to do it. I justify it by saying I can do better by assisting financially and helping here. But am I really doing enough. How do I know that my money will reach the right people? Do I even do enough here to make a difference? And half the people I help, do they even need help, or are they only there for the free handout?
I want to be strong enough to travel this world to help people in need. I envy those people with the fortitude to do that. I definitely do not have it in me... Right now.
I was born with riches the majority of this world will never see (thanks mom and dad). Right f*cking place at the right f*cking time.
I can see a theme. This blog was the best and worst idea ever.
Fascinating Sea Ice
16 years ago
Careful, some people might mistake you for a liberal or something.
ReplyDeleteI should delete this post right now eh?
ReplyDeleteIt should probably stay.
ReplyDeleteSo saying "I want to be strong enough to travel this world to help people in need. I envy those people with the fortitude to do that. I definitely do not have it in me... Right now." is not helpful to anybody. It is the result of what Peter Sloterdjik (some German writer) calls cynical reason. You know very well what you are doing (or in this case, not doing), but you don't care to do anything about it. Instead, through ironic self-reflexiveness you are trying to justify yourself. You think that being aware of your own problems, shortcomings, weaknesses, etc. makes a difference. But unless you actually do something with that awareness, it is no good to anybody. If anything, you become another angsty, existentially-challenged, self-reflexive (and usually self-absorbed) being in the world. The world has enough of these.
ReplyDeleteSorry to sound so harsh - but I think sympathizing with you will only make the situation worse. And when I say 'you,' I mean much more than you personally, Ray (I could very well replace 'you' with 'I').
On another line, 'travelling the world to help those in need' although admirable is only one way to live a life of service. "The few have always had an abundance of heart and out of that abundance they have spoken... Yet such expression is not necessarily in any particular vocation. The abundance of heart may be evident in the blacksmith as well as in the great preacher or master surgeon. But wherever the heart is abundant there will be a leader no matter how great or how small the following. And the blacksmith of the teacher or the surgeon who [has this abundance of heart] will be a good blacksmith, a good teacher, and a good surgeon, even as Christ must have been a good carpenter."
Oh man I love it. Thanks T.
ReplyDeleteT where's that quote from?
ReplyDelete