I've mentioned on occasion that I play Santa at a local hospital each year. Its not a big deal -- about three hours at a Christmas party for the staff and their kids. I used to do it at EDS, but stopped when I felt like they were using me -- they stopped thanking me for coming, and at the end of the session, they'd troop over for their own personal photos, and assumed I'd be willing to hang around for as long as those took to do. Multiple shots, too.
Yesterday, I was at EDS, having lunch with my wife, when the woman who organizes this (and was the prime offender in not thanking and such) saw me. She said that the guy who had been doing it for the last six or seven years had hurt his foot, and would I be willing to do it. Well, I still sulk a little about that, but what the heck -- I said I'd check my calendar at home to make sure it wasn't the same day as the hospital one. It wasn't, so I said I would do it. Then, in the reply, she said that she passed my name to someone else organizing a different event that had used the same guy. I didn't like that. I know, its unreasonable, but I felt that I was volunteering for one, not multiple. It would have been better to tell me, and ask if I would be willing, before passing it on.
Now I find that this other event is for kids in middle school who are homeless. And (I hate saying this) that creeps me out. Homeless kids? Part of it is, the idea of homeless people creeps me out, period. I hate that we've died so much as a society that this is considered normal. And then, kids being homeless -- holy crap, how is that even possible? Well, this is how: the idea of homeless kids creeps me out so much that I just don't want to do it. Oh, if they call and ask, I probably will -- I'll wimp out -- but the idea of it just -- argh. I don't even want to acknowledge that homeless kids is possible.
Which I'll bet is much of why we can consider homelessness to be normal.
6 comments:
At least you admit to being creeped out by it, most people will say they have no qualms and then shiver in disgust when no one is looking.
How does any society justify letting homeless people, especially homeless kids, exist in such massive numbers?
I know the solution isn't simple, but I guess that is why we spend so much money on things we don't need, so we can distract ourselves from the things that matter.
Whats needed is, essentially, a luxury tax that funnels the money toward fixing those problems. Okay, not literally -- but that idea. This is why I wasn't opposed to Bush's Faith-Based Initiatives. I think he was on to something. The execution was poor, but the idea was good.
Yes, I definitely agree. There is a fine line between Church and State, but I think if handled correctly that the benefits of it would far outweigh the fact that some Church-State separation extremists get their feelings hurt, so be it hah.
Anyway, I could rant on about this, but I won't for your sanity :-)
Oh, feel free. My sanity is encased in an impenetrable casing of Cynicalite... nothing affects it. Well, except Lolcats.
Faith based initiatives. Hmmm. Why am I reminded of a scene from Angela's Ashes. "Well Rector, if ye don't give 'em supper, ye'll be driving 'em right into the arms of the damned Protestants, ye jest wait as see!"
You have a choice...put a man on the moon or deal with the homeless right here on earth. What choice has been made in the past? What choices will be made in the future?
My point? Well, lets see. I think it is this. Can you vote (or agitate, or whatever) for faith based action if you are not a member of that faith?
Yes, I think you can. But you have to be sure that the people administering it can keep the two separate -- and thats almost an unfair burden if they're on the faith side of the interface.
Post a Comment