Posting here as a diary a comment I read in emptywheel's blog ("Made in China, Where Contents and Labor Practices Don’t Matter") on Firedoglake this morning that just made my day. Copied and pasted here with the permission of the author, Leen:
http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/...
I’m in Boulder visiting my oldest daughter a teacher in Broomfield, youngest in school in Boulder. Been walking around town a great deal. As I crossed one of the bridges over Boulder Creek near the city library two men in tattered clothing were standing smoking cigarettes and talking in the frigid cold . I heard one say "did you sleep outside last night?" (temp was 10 degrees) the other fellow said "yes". Now I wanted to stop and ask questions which I have often done with street folks but decided not to. Boulder has an incredible homeless shelter but it does get filled to capacity, has rules and some street folks I hear decide not to try to get in (hard to believe).
cont'd over the jump...
Last night after an incredible classical Holdiday concert I was walking back to my youngest daughter’s place near what they call the "hill in Boulder" It was very cold, snowing, peaceful. I had just looked in the window of one of the expensive clothing stores with white manequins with no heads on them in classic black sleeveless silk and satin holdiday dresses decorated with shiny green, red and silver balls and white shiny snowflakes to accentuate the headless manequins in their black apparel.
Within a half of a block with snow falling hard and fancy SUV’s roaring past on Broadway (one of the main drags in Boulder) sat a big pile of blankets with feet sticking out below and a barely decernable head with a hat sticking out. With the snow falling so hard you could barely make out the head and feet, but the warmth of this husky fellows breath was making a small dent in the frigid air. I stopped and watched for a few minutes and when he woke for a few seconds I asked "hey buddy are you all right" (not saying this to pat myself on the back or get pats on the back from you folks) this is something my parents taught us to do basically a family tradition to reach out to those less fortunate is what most of us were taught but seldom do)
Went on and asked the guy "how come you are not at the homeless shelter?
He said "did not make the evening deadline" I went on "where will you sleep tonight?" Fella "I have my spots" Me "can I take you out to dinner" pointing at a restaurant across the way. He responds "well sure what ever works for you" Here is where I got weak "would you rather have the money" Fella "what ever you like" I handed him the money. Of course easier for me. Next time which will come quickly because people less fortunate than all of us present themselves almost every day I am going to take the person out to dinner.
As I walked away he yelled out through the frigid air "I love you" I yelled back through tears "I love you too brother god bless you"
As I walked home I cried knowing that the lessons taught to us by Jesus, Buddha, Mother Theresa, Mohammed, Gandhi present themselves every day..every second. Most of us were taught these lessons of compassion and empathy. The question is when do we listen to those teachings?
Every holiday season my family does service finds a family to provide a Christmas tree, the dinner fixings, pay a few bills and buy some not expensive presents for them. My daughters grew up going over the list for these needy kids and were always in shock about the simplicity of their request. Again not saying this to get pats on the back...fuck that.
Just encouraging folks to open up to the real spirit of giving, of compassion. That the teachings of many of earths spiritual leaders present themselves every day every minute every where we look there is someone far less fortunate than we are. And generally they do not need things made in China "made in the world." They need food, shelter and some compasssion.
Give the gift of compaasion in what ever form it takes!
Christ all Mighty I sound like a religious zealot, but I swear you get high giving from your heart. You just get high. I swear this is what it is all about. Damn my parents, damn the message that came through those Catholic Notre Dame nuns...but damn it feels so good to allow compassion, empathy, a desire for justice to rule every day.
Compassion comes from the heart. It is not made in China.
Leen
Posted with permission of the author.