Saturday, March 5, 2011

Mar 5: Think "Why not me?"

So one of the many annoying things my little sister says whenever asked to do something she doesn't want to do is "Why me?"  Put away the movie you got out.  "Why me?  I wasn't the only one who watched it." (This particular conversation went on for what seemed like forever.  Finally the dvd got up and said "Oh my gosh! Fine!  I'll put myself away!")   We all have things that we don't want to do.  They might not be particularly hard or time-consuming, or even selfless, we just don't want to do them.  Today I had three such opportunities.  My dad was out working in the yard.  He is a hopelessly disorganized business owner- a bad combination.  He was in the backyard, clouds forming overhead, staring at the bed of his truck, surrounded by buckets, tools, tarps, and other construction paraphernalia, and looked as if he was either about to climb under the truck in a soppy pile and cry or have a stroke.  I went out and made a little small talk with him, knowing he needed help but thinking (selfishly) of all the things I wanted to get done.  (Like write a new article for visitsouth, clean my room, read, meditate, and not work in the yard.)  I wanted very badly to slink back into the house and cloister myself in my room.  But instead I took a deep breath and simply said, "Need some help?"  Later when my stressed out mother was trying to handle the kids, make a pie, and get ready to go out, I offered to go to the store for her.  Anyway, even though this post seems very uppity, I think I have illustrated quite thoroughly the innate selfishness I possess.  I did not want to do these things and of course the first thought in my mind was "Why me?"  But then I tried to use on myself what I try to use on my sister.  "Why not me?"  This needs to be done, why don't I do it?  This person needs help, why don't I help them?  Why is this an important concept to me?  Because I hope the next time my car brakes down, or I am choking in a restaurant, or I am carrying something that is clearly too heavy for me, that the people who see this ask themselves the same question.

"Let me do all the good I can, to all the people I can, as often as I can, for I shall not pass this way again."
~ John Wesley

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