We, the people of Blogger, are, after all, middle class people, some rich too. We celebrate Christmas splendidly, because, it is the one day of the year where we all can unite. We become spendthrifts, trying to buy or provide every possible amenity that our loved ones can desire. So all in all, Christmas to us, is a time for merriment. Everyone is happy. It seems that there can't be any sorrow anywhere.
But, what about the poor, hapless children crowding in the road-sides? What about the beggars who live on the streets? What about the fever-stricken, homeless people of Africa or the neglected ones? Have we ever thought of them? Did someone ever ask them, "What do you need?" or, maybe, "Would you like a new cloth?". The answer is no. We all are too pre-occupied with our own selves. But, they too are humans, they too have dreams & they too like us, want to celebrate Christmas. But, all their wishes vanish into thin air for they are poor, their lives have been engulfed by poverty & negligence. The children, they too want to dress in new clothes & go to the churches to pray, but, all they get is maybe, a torn cloth. Sometimes, we see that there are a few well-wishers who donate somethings to them, like food, necessities, clothes etc. But, only few, very few, & that too, when do charity work, that is donate to organizations, half of what they give, don't go to the intended people in need. So, the bottomline is, they remain in misery. And that dstroys all their dreams.
But, this scene can be changed if we, collectively, help them to get out of this situation. We spend so much lavishly, we don't have counts how our money gets spent, here & there. Can't we just do something to see our fellow human beings live a happy life? Can't we each just donate $1 for their welfare? In a large city like New York or Paris or London or Mumbai , a one-dollar contribution from each person can lead to a huge sum of money, running into millions. That would be more than enough to provide for all of them.
But, we would think, what we would get in return? They can't repay us. Probably not, we can't get any expensive things from them. Or maybe, we can, we can get their smiles, their happiness, which we'll feel happy that we've given them, & last we can get their blessings, which is far more expensive than all the material wishes we desire in our life.
But, what about the poor, hapless children crowding in the road-sides? What about the beggars who live on the streets? What about the fever-stricken, homeless people of Africa or the neglected ones? Have we ever thought of them? Did someone ever ask them, "What do you need?" or, maybe, "Would you like a new cloth?". The answer is no. We all are too pre-occupied with our own selves. But, they too are humans, they too have dreams & they too like us, want to celebrate Christmas. But, all their wishes vanish into thin air for they are poor, their lives have been engulfed by poverty & negligence. The children, they too want to dress in new clothes & go to the churches to pray, but, all they get is maybe, a torn cloth. Sometimes, we see that there are a few well-wishers who donate somethings to them, like food, necessities, clothes etc. But, only few, very few, & that too, when do charity work, that is donate to organizations, half of what they give, don't go to the intended people in need. So, the bottomline is, they remain in misery. And that dstroys all their dreams.
But, this scene can be changed if we, collectively, help them to get out of this situation. We spend so much lavishly, we don't have counts how our money gets spent, here & there. Can't we just do something to see our fellow human beings live a happy life? Can't we each just donate $1 for their welfare? In a large city like New York or Paris or London or Mumbai , a one-dollar contribution from each person can lead to a huge sum of money, running into millions. That would be more than enough to provide for all of them.
But, we would think, what we would get in return? They can't repay us. Probably not, we can't get any expensive things from them. Or maybe, we can, we can get their smiles, their happiness, which we'll feel happy that we've given them, & last we can get their blessings, which is far more expensive than all the material wishes we desire in our life.
10 comments:
i don't celebrate christmas, don't blow money on diwali either...one can donate money, yes its a good idea, but how sure are you that it reaches the needy people.
the best one can do is keep one's side solid and clean, if one by one we all work hard, make our lives good we can contribute in a larger way to society and needy people.
Get my vibe?
:)
N
I maybe relatively rich, but I live from pay-check to check.
"""the poor, hapless children""
if we would just stop and think when we buy something, where it comes from, and who made it, we could benifit the poor enormously- for example - when we buy stone for our kitchen - that comes from the very city you live in - Bangalore, there are children, whole families enslaved in the quarries there.
We have to learn to wait, to save - to pay the just amount for goods, and stop looking for the cheap option - and stop wanting everything now.
this is not an ideal world...
and lets not pretend it is..
shallow it may sound but how many of us would give up pocket money to buy a gift for someone needy
and if some DO for how long??
if we want to change things GIVING IS NOT THE WAY..
we could work towards creating oppurtunities
Take the step and move on..Dont expect others to contribute.. Do it yourself...
Thats wht i wud say
@ Nothingman,
Yep that was what I said that a little (or no portion) of the money we donate goes to the needy.
Well, another thing, you said that you wanted to make your life good & enrich the society, but, you see your neighbor suffering through hell & he/she needs monetary help desperately, won't you also feel sad & donate him something?
@ Sean,
That my friend is human nature, we want all the things at the same time & think that when we possess them, we'd be happy, but after somedays, when we have our desired wishes, we want to crave for more. The lust for wanting more never ceases. We would rather throw a penny down on a drain than give it to a needy.
@ Girl with zillion namesakes,
Ah, we're too selfish for that I think, that we'll create oppurtunites for others to prosper. Jealousy ties us down, won't you agree?
@ Amrita,
If you help others, like the needy people, they will surely praise you, admire you, bless you. But, you alone can't change their financial situation considerably right, so that they can maybe see a glimpse of hope. In that case, you need a collective effort from people who are sympathetic towards the poor.
@ Nothingman,
Hey is there something wrong with your page? It says Access Denied.
:(
-Sam.
Sam, Its good you are thinking about this, but as you know I am in Africa right now, and I see so much corruption in the government and where aid money goes that it makes me sick.I support World Vision and I really do believe they are making a difference in society here. I went to visit Mwanza which is near lake Victoria and visited a small community there called Nkomo, as you can read about on my blog. Anyway there were huge changes going on, and although it still didn't look like much from our middleclass standard, it was hugely significant to the peoples lives. There was no longer starvation or lack of water as a Dam had been constructed. The pass rate at schools went from 2% to 60%. Many more things were also going on.
I've also lived in China and there some evil men cut off orphans legs and put them on the street to beg as when they have a dissability they will get more money when they beg. But the child has to give the money to the men and then the men will buy them food.
We can make all sorts of excuses about not giving to the poor just to settle our consciences, but that is also a common attitude of man, we always thing of our selves before giving. Its been going on since the beginning of civilisation.
Nelson Mandela said 'Africa doesn't need charity, it needs justice.' From living here just a short while I see thats so, so true.
We can build the most amazing society like Nottingham said, but even the most amazing society can be the most evil. Look at Germany in the 1940s, they were the most educated, most technologically advanced civilization in the world, rich and with very little poverty, yet they committed the worst crimes during the war, in the name of evolution.
When we look at the most successful athlete or politition and then at the poorest man in the same city can we really say 'this person is fulfilled, this person in unfulfilled'. But atainment is not the same as fulfillement. You may be amazingly successful, yet be the saddest person in the world.
I could go on and on, but not today :)
How do I know you by the way, which Sam is this?
@ Si,
I know, the similar is pretty similar in every country, more so in the countries of Africa, but it is also bad in India. People might think that India's economy is booming & so all are happy, but, not the lower strata of the society, the poorer are becoming poorer, nobody to think about them. Besides, we all are driven by our own interests, and I am also not an exception, but, I try helping the poor whenever possible, we've all become self-centred.
Well, my full name is Somnath. But, for the convenience of others, I've shortened it to Sam, you can call me Somnath or Sam, whichever is more suitable to you.
-Sam.
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