Pathetic Apathy No More

If you think about it hate is as strong an emotion as love. Some say stronger and certainly more deadly. But, few speak of apathy with any fervor. And yet apathy is much more dangerous. Just think of how much of the world has stood apathetically by and done little if anything, on behalf of the people Somalia or the children of Appalachia. And think how long The Holocaust went on before major countries got involved to do something about it. I'd like to think that our own interests aren't always involved for us to do something just and right. As Michael Jackson said after Gandhi said it after he heard it through the grapevine: be the change you wish to see in world.  

So today… (Yes only today- as I have a problem committing to things without seeing any benefit to me) I will do something completely altruistic. I will do something that I can do all day long and not really have to put much effort into it yet have it benefit someone else. A stranger. No wait, many strangers. I will do something for strangers unknown to me yet needing something from me… but what is it? What am I qualified to do? Nothing really- but we are not focusing on me right now. Today is about The Others! Those who are not me… hmm this is more difficult than I thought. Perhaps I should have thought this out before I started writing in traffic, on the iPhone while driving my son to school…What can I do? What can one person do?  

I got it!  


I pledge to help every sister and brother feeling the weight of their plight, the shame of their bad hair, the shroud of their ill fitting clothes and even those poor souls wearing white shoes after Labor Day. I will reach out to these less fortunate people and not avert my eyes in embarrassment for their predicament. No sir. I will lend a hand. Give a smile. Throw a wink. Say, “Hey hot stuff…” and coyly walk on. Leaving them with a little morsel of validation. I will admire their frock and say “I love that schmata. Do you think I could get away with wearing that?” with a shy hopeful tone. I will look them on the nose and compliment their hair asking for the name of their barber-superhaircutter-the-fantastic “Sam.”  

I will be like the humble Monarch in the chaos theory butterfly effect.  

My subjects will feel good about themselves and perhaps pay it forward… leaving a bigger tip to the barrista who makes their tall, double half caf, nonfat, sugar free white chocolate, with a splenda, hold the whip mocha… and that barrista will call her favorite cousin and say “hey I have a free Saturday this weekend I’d love to babysit your three adorable children”… and that favorite cousin in her car will be so moved that she allows the tacky, frosted haired, bitch in the Hummer take the parking space she had clearly been waiting for… and instead turns on some country music where they are playing “Well I’m glad to live in America where at least I know I’m free…” looking for another spot… and the sun shines and so on and so on and so on…  

It all starts with One. Do some good! 

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