As part of a school assignment, I recently began some volunteer work and something I heard resonated with me. The gentleman leading our tour said, “I must do something” is more powerful than saying, “something must be done.” That resonated with me because I’ve always said, “If you’re doing nothing to change a situation, you lose all rights to complain about it.” (There is always the caveat that some situations are not ours for the changing. But, you knew that already.)
Let’s take a moment and look at that “something must be done” statement. There is a phrase that falls under the something must be done umbrella. I’ve heard this phrase more than once (which is too often). This phrase is so shitty that I’ve begun using it as a determinant for a person’s assholedness (that’s totally a word, BTW). Ready? “They should just get rid of all of the homeless people.” I’ve heard that phrase spoken aloud, written about in blogs (which I will NOT hyperlink), and even alluded to by the local media* here in the Bay Area a combined total of four times in the past six years. Again, that’s too often. [*Local media was running a teaser about cleaning up San Francisco. While all of the clips they showed were not of trash, but of homeless people.] The homeless population are people, not problems. Recently, a DudeBro said this phrase to me and I wanted to hear his magical problem solving skills. Perhaps I was just bored, but I had to probe deeper. “What do you propose they do with them?” (Can we all agree to stop referring to a mythical they, when what we really mean is anyone but me?) DudeBro had no clear answer as to how to remove the homeless population from his field of vision. He seemed to ramble something about “shipping them off” as my disdain for his lack of compassion grew legs. My savior complex kicked in as I tried to guide his mind down a path of social justice. “Isn’t it more important that we consider how they got there in the first place?” While I was leaning towards inequality in the socioeconomic status of various demographics here in the sickeningly affluent Bay Area, he seemed to (shockingly) miss my drift. He muttered some unsubstantiated stereotype about drugs as if to suggest that all homeless persons were addicts of some sort. At that point, my disdain grew wings and I just flew away from the conversation. I want nothing to do with that person. The truth is, I want nothing to do with any human that shrugs as if we’re not all susceptible to the human condition. The way the story goes, two men, in pursuit of justice, take different measures to accomplish their goal. One of them (for all fellow comic book nerds, the Punisher) doesn’t hesitate to kill the villains. The other (Daredevil) will best them in a fight while sparing their lives. In a potent scene, Punisher says to Daredevil, “You’re just one bad day away from being me.” In the song “Thought Process” by Goodie M.O.B., Cee-Lo raps, “Sometimes I don’t even know how I’m gon’ eat // ‘Bout twenty dollars away from being on the street” Have you ever considered the possibility? I’m not suggesting that you look at the destitute and think “what if.” No, I’m asking if you’ve realized how the structure of our economy and healthcare system could find you on the street with one bad day? The way the story goes, a teacher of 20 years did all the right things, she saved her money, she owned her home, she was fiscally responsible, and then she had her bad day. She was diagnosed with breast cancer. After winning a long battle with cancer, the medical bills wiped her out. She now lives in a homeless shelter. That’s a truncated version of the story. I’ll spare the details about how the chemo and surgeries changed her body and made it difficult for her to work. The point that I’m trying to drive home for you all is that the person in need of compassion is not just who you could be after one bad day. That person in need is your sister or your brother. Race and gender are social constructs. We are all relatives under the Species: Homo Sapiens
I must do something. It’s interesting to watch people give money to the homeless population. I recently saw a man hold out some cash from his car window at the freeway off ramp. As the human jogged towards the car, the man threw the cash on the ground from his luxury sedan’s window. He smiled with pride (or Sadism) as the human bent down to retrieve the treasure. Is this his example of doing something, making a difference? Any project that has no simple solution, begs for the most efficient use of time and effort. When I decide to do something, giving blindly to a charity doesn’t feel right without researching the percentage they spend on “administrative” costs. I’ve met a lot of non-profit executives with expensive cars and homes. Those numbers don’t make sense to me. I must do something. Giving a dollar to the man on the corner that’s texting on his smartphone or talking on his bluetooth headset doesn’t make sense to me. Candy bars cost more than a dollar and that phone bill isn’t paying itself. I must do something. I have something to give that holds greater value than money, I have my time to give. (We can all make more money, no one can make more time. Remember to honor the time of others as well as your own.) I have my (physical) strength to give. Armed with those tools, I must do something has manifested in my volunteering a few hours a week at the local food bank. I don’t meet any of the hungry families. I just sort the food, lift the heavy things, and help keep the warehouse organized. I began doing this a project for an Anthropology Term Paper. I intend to continue volunteering my time because I needed to do something. I couldn’t get mad at the DudeBros for trying to “get rid of” a population without actually doing something.
Many of you know that I’m going to school to be a healer in order to do something, with my hands, with my mind, with my heart, globally. I don’t want to be limited by a patient/client list at a job with a glass ceiling. I want to help everyone within my reach and I want to reach far. In July, with the help of other compassionate humans, I’m traveling to the Dominican Republic to help rebuild communities. Please, read all about that here and make a small donation if you are able. If you’re unable to donate money, please share this with your sphere of influence.
After reading all of this, you don’t have to go out and do any of the things that I’m doing. But, I’d like to encourage you to do something. Don’t wait for the election, don’t wait for anyone to give you permission. Do something to make a difference. “Something must be done” has been said for too long.
***** Shifting gears a bit, join me for a special workshop that I’ll be leading on everyone’s favorite exercise. Click here to sign up!
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