Listening to the world, and those in it, gives you more than just information. It can give you a specific view, arouse a specific feeling, bring about a certain emotion. Stories from an outside influences puts our life in perspective and helps mold our worldview. These “stories” give us messages for what is truly worth seeking, having and doing.
“every gesture, every act, every choice we make sends ripples of influence through our future” –Scott Russell Sanders
Our actions are influenced by people’s stories, information and experiences. Its what we take and how we use that information we take that effects our future. Listening is the most influential part of our lives because all though, ideas and actions are spawned from out side influences.
Listening does not only help you! You may not be a victim of a story of a social injustice but that does not mean you cannot listen, provide advice or even physical help. You do not need to be directly affected by a story of an injustice, to provide your ears, you mind or your help. To think that “it does not affect me so who cares” is a selfish, single minded view, and if we all had the same view nothing would ever be accomplished. We would be a world ruled by corruption, crime and greed.
A story or an event that happened to me that completes shape who I am an a person, is one of learning just how lucky I am and how I should help in my community.
My mother use to be a CASA social worker, she was responsible for a case or in this situation 2 brothers and a sister who had been taken from their mother who was a drug addict. These children were exchanged from foster home- foster home with no one willing to adopt a package of 3 children, who is no way wished to be separated. The only constant thing in their lives was my mother. She visited them regularly, took them out for lunch, bought them Christmas presents. Our family, also became close with the 3 children and welcomed them into our home, my sister and I even came out with my mother to visit them from time to time.
What struck me hard, was how these kids were growing up. The youngest was 5 years old, could you imagine having no guardian at that age? and this group needed a stable family. These kids loved my mom, and it showed when during a visit to our home the youngest slipped out the word “mom” when referring to my mother. Immediately after, the oldest of the 3 asked why Karen (my mom) couldn’t be their mother.
I realized how unbelievably lucky I am, and how so many kids are really unfortunate. We did, in the end, find a very nice home for the children above. Although that’s because my mother worked extremely hard for it to happen, stressing and working long extra hours without pay. It showed me a lot of these kids haven’t got a chance! Those who do find a home are replaced by 5 more children who have problematic homes or are orphans.
This whole experience impacted me greatly, more in the community need to take part to make this a better world. We can no longer only look to provide for ourselves, there are many others who need much more help and are having worse problems than you are. We are the future, and what we do effects every one else around us.
Nathaniel Chapman
-Bit of a long post but this subject really hit home
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Thank you for sharing Nate :)
ReplyDeleteYour post reminded me of the golden rule: "Do unto others as you would have done to you"
I think this is a key concept to understand in community service. We are not all hurt or affected by the same things, but we all need a little help sometimes. This is the point of a community and helping others because eventually you may also need help.
And one's community is not restricted to those similiar, the neighborhood, or even one's own country. We can make our community whatever we want it to be. Your mom is a perfect example, going out of her way and her lifestyle to help strangers with many differences than herself. I'm sure that is the exact way she would want to be treated if she was in their shoes.
Nat
ReplyDeleteGreat comment~ I loved your story about the foster family. It amazes me that children are treated so differently and I tell my daughter how lucky she is but then she thinks sometimes I am mean when I tell her to turn off the TV and study. Puts us in perspective.