Putting things in Perspective

Some time last week, I heard a radio show hosts call someone who had made a Christmas wish list for her sister. Basically, the radiostation had asked people to call in if they knew someone struggling to get through the holidays in order to help them get through it. Some lady (Since you know I dont remember names lets call her Abbie) had called in to request help for her sister(lets call her Bailey). Apparently, Bailey had been doing drugs for a while and had finally come clean. She was even the more motivated to stay away from drugs because she now had a baby. Bailey is a single mother who is really struggling to make ends meet and is really finding it hard to get a job because of her past history. Her sister, Abbie who called in for her, was also a single mother and was also struggling to make ends meet for herself. Her requests were simple, Abbie just asked that they help her sister with anything, starting with a bassonet for the baby, diapers, baby food, and anything else that they could. The radio station decided they would want to call Abbie to let her know she was going to get some help but apparently she didnt even have a phone because she could not afford it.

To add to that downtown San Francsisco has a lot of homeless people. You turn one way and all you see is nice well to do rich shopping areas and you turn on another block its a lot of homeless people. I actually saw someone dive into the trash can of a subway to get the remnants of food and drink that someone else had thrown out. Yeah, its sad but the truth is that is the reality for some people.

Makes me wonder sometimes if I do enough to help out. And yeah being the analytical that I am, I'm beginning to question more things. Are the corporate food drives that are organized actually good enough? Are we sure the right people get the food items? What about financial donations made to food shelters, are they spent more on administrative things or on actually buying and getting food to the poor? Knowing fully well that I cant solve world hunger, I guess my encouragement to everyone is that they should take time out this holiday season to help others that are less fortunate.

In the same note, I am always excited when I spend time with other people who are actually making some kind of positive impact in the community. It is encouraging to me and I realize that I like spending time with positive and caring people who encourage me to be and do better.

To tie everything together, it's never been hard for me to snap out of my bad day drama because at the end of the day I'm guessing that there are millions of people out there who would love to be in my position and have the bad day that I am claiming to have. I guess when you look at the big picture, and you think through the issues you are going through; A bad hair cut, the guy with the attitude at the rental place, the lady who hates to give me more corn at Chipotle, being under the weather, a bad day at work, traffic, or missing a flight, you'll learn that those are really very trivial things.

Anyway, I sign off with this. Do something nice to help someone who needs it this holiday season. and if I become too lazy to add a few more posts. Have a Merry Christmas.