It's been far too long since any posts have been placed here, so I'll attempt to remedy the situation. Today's thought piece: Helping People.
An old friend and I were discussing helping people for the sake of it, and he described what lengths he would (does) go to to help people who are distressed, distraught, or just in a pinch of trouble. To me, some of it seemed ridiculous. Not only was the amount of effort and help given a bit more than I'd ever consider, it seemed to me that he was helping people that just did not deserve it.
But maybe you're not quite as callous as I am.
People -- how much help, or support, or whatever do you think certain people deserve? Start from the most obvious and work your way down. Your spouse? Your immediate family? Your friends? Your extended family? Neighbors? Co-Workers? Strangers? What sort of circumstances warrant your aid, and what factors disqualify somebody as deserving of your assistance?
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That's such a wide range for action.. I usually base it off what I see, rather than hear. People could lie to you to obtain help (or just money) like a large percentage of the 'homeless' in Portland..
ReplyDeletePlus I try to know who this is somehow before I help..
Well, I have trouble defending people against their own destructive habits. If i have to clean up someone's own mess for them, I'm not happy about it. Especially if they have been given options.
ReplyDeleteLike my friend Sarah. She offered to let her homeless younger sister live with her for free, food included, and she didn't have to work either, as long as she went to rehab and got off drugs.
Her sister turned it down. Now Sarah meets her in Portland whenever she's in town and gives her money to feed her and her also homeless boyfriend.
I think that's far too gracious. There are plenty of food banks and the woman already gets food stamps.
Other than that type of thing, I'd like to help people within my means. Which is not much, but it's better than nothing.