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| >> Campfire Creative >> Appendix >> Other >> ID #1610215 |   |
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[Introduction]
  Utopia may be a fantasy-- but with a little tolerance, understanding and forgiveness of our fellow humans, we can come closer to this ideal. My idea is to start with random acts of kindness. Ideas become reality and reality can become more beautiful when idealists, like me, take action. Becoming closer to each other can be so simple. It is basically reaching out a helping hand to those in need, recognizing another for their work, offering a simple gesture of kindness. In this campfire, there are little in way of rules. I ask for your ideas of what we can do to better the world we live in. I want ideas of how to unite humankind. You may also share stories about what you have already done to touch someone's life in a positive way or what someone else may have done to make you have a renewed faith in others. If you would like to take part in this campfire, please email me. I would love for you to sit around this warm and cozy fire, share hot cocoa and ideas. |
 Omni~pink bubbles r everywhere  I was a waitress in a restaurant and waited on quite a few patrons one busy morning. At one of my tables sat a young mother and four rowdy, but happy, children. The mother seemed a little overwhelmed, but she was doing a decent job at keeping the kids entertained by coloring with them and telling jokes. She would 'shush' them when they got too loud. I went to give another patron, an older gentleman, his check when he asked for hers. He said he wanted to pay for her meal. I was to let her know that her check was covered but not by who. He said to say that someone noticed what a fantastic job she was doing. Some people might judge this young woman for many reasons. "She is too young to have so many kids." "Why are her kids not better-behaved?" This man was different, if he judged her at all; it was on her positive attributes. This man gave her a true gift that day, and no, it was not the free meal. When I told her what the man had said and that her check was paid for, she started to tear up. She told me, "I really needed to feel like a good mother today." The man had made a difference in this woman's day and perhaps her life. 6th chemo on 31/5-Copper Remmy entered the car of Regina, a friend she had just met at the seminar. Having just arrived from the Philippines, she was extremely grateful for this act of kindness. Her father's shop had been looted. Their home was burnt right down to the ground. Her whole family had to flee from the rebels. Remmy had been a successful business woman. She helped her father run their family business. Now, she was a refugee in a foreign country without a job. This kind gesture, even though so small, touched Remmy's heart with a generous and trusting love. The horror of the looting, suspicion and fear seemed unreal in this place. A simple meal of fish, vegetables and soup was like a feast for a king. The apple they shared afterwards was precious like gold. Omni~pink bubbles r everywhere It is easy to judge the homeless. We may think to ourselves, Oh, they just do not want to work or they must be druggies. Truth be told, the majority of us are only a paycheck or two away from being homeless ourselves. I am sure most homeless people do not chose to be without a home. I do not care about the reasons they are homeless, I just care that they are struggling; they are human. While I will not give cash to a homeless person, I do offer to buy them food. I try and help in other ways and if you have any additional ideas, to add to mine, please tell me in comment.My way in making a small difference : I make non-perishable food packs. I gather things like peanut butter and crackers, chips, fruit cups, and water in bags. I add a typed list of local shelters and groups that can help the homeless find things like transportation, jobs, and housing. I carry around extra blankets in my car in the winter. I buy them on sale or when I see them being sold at Goodwill. I hand them out in cold months. I also keep extra jackets in my trunk. Not all homeless people are appreciative, but most are. Some DO want their 'fix' and those I can not help. But others, the others I can help in small ways. I would hope that if I was suddenly in this unfortunate position, someone would care; someone would throw me a lifeline... Where I live now (a small town in Illinois) there are not many homeless people. I think there is one homeless man and he chooses that life. He does not want help finding a home, but would he accept a meal of hot chicken soup? I have never asked. There are many, many places that offer meals for the holidays-- but do they not think these people get hungry on normal days? I would love to see more soup kitchens opened and ran on a continuous basis. I am not sure of the answers to all of the problems that plague the homeless, but I am trying to make an effort to show them I care. Note: Those people that rummage in garbage for cans to recycle, IMO, ARE working. It would be nice if they did not mess up our garbage area with their rooting around, but they are working harder then most of us do on our jobs and for much less money. Perhaps, we could make their work easier by bagging those recyclables for them and thus making our own yard cleaner and our world more 'green'. 6th chemo on 31/5-Copper Everyone nicknamed him Peter, he smelled liked rotten fish and stale beer. He wore the same T-shirt everywhere he went. Some say that he has gone off the bend, some say otherwise. He never fails to show up whenever food was being served. There was always enough food to share but the problem was that Peter would talk at the top of his voice, start swearing at some poor victim of his choice for the night.The room went silent, Peter had done it again. The room was soon empty except for Peter, Cosmas and his wife Mary. Peter broke down. "Nobody loves me, all I want is a friend" Holding his breath, Cosmas led Peter to the dormitory, took out a spare change of clothes from his suitcase, a bar of soap and gave them to Peter. "Would you like to take a bath?" "O yes, I don't have a bathroom in the alley I have been squatting in every night." "Go, I will be here when you finish, take your time." Half an hour later, Peter came out of the bathroom refreshed and clean. "Come, sit here and tell me about yourself". Omni~pink bubbles r everywhere Something terrible happened in the United States on 9/11/2001. Instead of bringing America together in our time of mourning, we became a divided Nation. Islam and Muslims-- basically anyone who wore a turban were attacked and scorned. These innocents were accused and judged solely on their Religion or appearance. Religion became the focus when a small band of people used their Religion as justification to become terrorists. They used their belief in their God as an excuse to behave in horrid ways. I do not think any God would have supported those acts.While the terrorists were terribly wrong in their actions, are we innocent when we verbally or physically attack a nation or Religion based on the actions of a few extremists. For example, there are 'Christians' blowing up abortion clinics, but not every Christian deserves to be labeled or penalized by those extremists who also claim they are doing the work of God. The Nation, in its diversity, would benefit in coming together and embracing the differences, or at the very least showing tolerance towards each other. Some bad examples of human beings should not define a people, religion, or race... I make it a practice to ask people about their God. I do not need to agree with their views but I can appreciate their faith. I am allowed, by the constitution of The United States, to believe what I wish to believe. I think we need to remember what we are fighting for; the current war is being waged so ALL people have the rights to those same freedoms-- and to take away the freedom of any people, regardless of the actions of a few extremists is just ignorant. My wish is for everyone to be able to appreciate each other, despite their differences, to embrace each other as brothers and sisters. Idealist? Yes, but then again...this is utopia  6th chemo on 31/5-Copper Johnny clutched his teddy bear and blanket. "Where are we going?" rubbing his eyes. "We have to leave now." "Why can't we stay here anymore?" "Let's just go, and stop asking questions for now, we will talk about it later." He saw his mother and two sisters already in the trailer. It was packed with most of their belongings. "Where is my bicycle?" "It's on the trailer, don't worry." Johnny looked hard at the two big men in black suits and dark glasses. One had a yellow paper in his hand and the other, a long chain and a set of keys. Both of them averted Johnny's stare as he walked past .He climbed in, next to his two sisters huddled red eyed and pale, mom, in the front seat sobbing into a face towel. "What is happening?" "We have been evicted, Sarah whispered.""What does that mean, where shall we sleep?" "ssssh, mom says we have no more money to pay the bank." "Isn't this our house, why do we have to pay the bank?" "I have an idea, I've got RM1000.00 in my piggy bank, you can have it mum." Jim kissed him. Oh thank you son, what a generous boy you are. You make us so proud. Jess smiled at him even though her whole life was falling apart. © Copyright 2009 Omni~pink bubbles r everywhere, 6th chemo on 31/5-Copper, (known as GROUP). All rights reserved. GROUP has granted Writing.Com, its affiliates and its syndicates non-exclusive rights to display this work. |
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