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Good Deeds
Nov. 23rd, 2004 11:20 pmAnother day, another dollar at Local Unionized Grocery Franchise.
Today, thankfully, existed in an ebb of good karma. I helped a blind man do some shopping for his sighted wife. It was a nice change of pace to slow from hurried to that of a disabled retiree. I had time to ponder if this would be like helping my maternal Grandfather. Who lost his sight in an accident and died before I was born.
i also helped a nice young East Indian guy with his $400 of groceries get through our City Renowned Parking Lot of Doom to a taxi cab. In return he tipped me $4! That was intended to "go buy a coffee". Hot damn, I coulda went to Starbucks... nearly. This makes my total carry-out tips at LUGF a phat $5. I still wondered if some snotty media drone could have misconstrued his purchases as being of a suspicious nature and report him to the authorities. He was buying an awful lot of cooking oil... and rice! You can make dirty bombs out of Canola oil and long grain rice, right?! Instead I decided that an expression of my patriotism would be to give this man an extra hand. An expression of my white guilt towards brown people or a reaction to neo-conservative world gone racist? He was probably Hindu as well. But really, who cares?
Another dude came through with an "I Love Computer Music" button. It made me smile an awful lot to see that. He recycled his bags as well.
This gave me faith that all is right with the world. Or that my actions have the ability to effect correction. I don't know what it is lately. But whereas in the past I would have spent most of my days welled up in my own head. Worrying about myself and the world and only seeing strife. And it's not to say that I don't do that, it's human nature. Extreme narcissism is a fact of our privileged modern lives. It's also at time that I come to embrace some idea of a subtle greater good. I can't sum it up without sounding crazy. We have such potential for good in every moment of our lives. And to be able to bring any at all to the life of another could, fundamentally, be my very reason for living.
Today, thankfully, existed in an ebb of good karma. I helped a blind man do some shopping for his sighted wife. It was a nice change of pace to slow from hurried to that of a disabled retiree. I had time to ponder if this would be like helping my maternal Grandfather. Who lost his sight in an accident and died before I was born.
i also helped a nice young East Indian guy with his $400 of groceries get through our City Renowned Parking Lot of Doom to a taxi cab. In return he tipped me $4! That was intended to "go buy a coffee". Hot damn, I coulda went to Starbucks... nearly. This makes my total carry-out tips at LUGF a phat $5. I still wondered if some snotty media drone could have misconstrued his purchases as being of a suspicious nature and report him to the authorities. He was buying an awful lot of cooking oil... and rice! You can make dirty bombs out of Canola oil and long grain rice, right?! Instead I decided that an expression of my patriotism would be to give this man an extra hand. An expression of my white guilt towards brown people or a reaction to neo-conservative world gone racist? He was probably Hindu as well. But really, who cares?
Another dude came through with an "I Love Computer Music" button. It made me smile an awful lot to see that. He recycled his bags as well.
This gave me faith that all is right with the world. Or that my actions have the ability to effect correction. I don't know what it is lately. But whereas in the past I would have spent most of my days welled up in my own head. Worrying about myself and the world and only seeing strife. And it's not to say that I don't do that, it's human nature. Extreme narcissism is a fact of our privileged modern lives. It's also at time that I come to embrace some idea of a subtle greater good. I can't sum it up without sounding crazy. We have such potential for good in every moment of our lives. And to be able to bring any at all to the life of another could, fundamentally, be my very reason for living.
