Charity - doing what we can

 Last night me, my husband and my mother-in-law went to the theatre to see an adaptation of Harper Lee’s ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’. This was a wonderful production which was very enjoyable even if it leaves you slightly miffed about the human race and its history. We left the theatre to go back to the car where we passed a homeless man.

This man was sat outside the theatre in freezing temperatures with no where to go. My husband passed me some change to pass to him which I did. My mother-in-law got some money out also which my husband passed to him at which point the homeless man said to him “I am sorry I just can’t get a job.” In that moment my heart broke. I am sorry I can’t do more.

This gentleman had no where else to go and was braving the harsh cold and the drunken crowds. I walked away with tears streaming down my face. 

Last weekend me and my husband were sitting in a restaurant and several tables away there sat three people. These extremely well-dressed people with their Mercedes keys placed strategically on the table with the logo pointing up. These three people were discussing rather loudly that they don’t give to charity because they were large corporations whose bosses just fleeced the charitable coffers anyway. Besides why did the charities need money to save the animals or homeless. 

My point of view is this. I am very fortunate so I try and give a little back. I would do more if I could. But then, I could really I suppose. If I gave up my spare time I could hand out sandwiches to the homeless. I could give up my home and move to a 3rd world country to fight disease or hunger. Why do I do this?

I am wholly tied up in my 1st world capitalist world with my work, my studies and my books. To keep up with the life I enjoy I don’t have the time to do anything other donating on a monthly basis and give money or food to the homeless when I can.

I feel like I can enact change, maybe not on a large scale but change no the less. I want to do this through policy and speaking to people. I would like to speak my mind and be the change I want to see in the world. And I suppose this is it. 

We can only do what we can at any given time.