We're all in this together

Perhaps this may come across as pretentious, but I always help people. Forgive me if that is the perceived connotation, but it is not my intent. I’m just going to tell some stories of some small things that could have helped others more than I knew.

First off, a bit of backstory. I travel the world for a living. I’m a research scientist and educator. I have been everywhere and seen everything. I see how other cultures live and know, to our human detriment, we aren’t always equal. Thus, I help out when I can because I am more privileged than most.

So here goes.

When I was traveling to Vietnam I brought an extra bag full of kids books. I aimed to pass them out to schools and street kids. I knew they probably couldn’t read them, but it was at least a possession they could hold onto and hopefully end-up understanding. It was a great experience to give the kids on the street books in the hope they will learn. You should have seen the smiles on their faces when we dropped them off to them; I have the pictures to prove it. As a scientist and an educator, I know that knowledge is the key to growth and prosperity. We then rented motorcycles and drove into the mountainside and visited some schools to give them books as well. I am not sure if you know what a Vietnamese Mountain school looks like, but it’s cinder block walls, no glass windows, and a dirt floor. Even though they couldn’t read the words in the books (very little English in the rural areas) they loved the books. I think we made their day.

Speaking of making someone’s day, here’s the next story. We had a trip planned to the Cai Be floating market on the Mekong. Rented a tuk-tuk for the day and headed off from Ho Chi Min. After an hour of driving, we got there and realized this place isn’t worth the boat ride to get out to the market. We tell the driver to return to our hotel. But since we rented the car for the day he didn’t want to short-change us and could take us anywhere else. Now, this was Christmas Day. He then told us when we rented him as a driver he would miss his daughter’s Christmas pageant. We were like ‘hell no!’, go see your daughter sing. He then brought us to her little school just in time for the songs. We as foreigners were welcomed into the school and sat, on the floor, in a prominent spot. I always hate getting special treatment for being some white guy but it is disrespectful to refuse. The songs were great, and he was beaming and was very thankful to us. Of course, we had books on us to give to the school and the principal was very happy and appreciative. I am so glad that driver, his name escapes me, got to see his little girl sing. You never know how one decision can make someone’s year.

Middle East, Qatar. I lived there for seven years. It’s a rich country, but hard to navigate the politics. I tutored the royal family. I came out and had a peacock sitting on my car and had to have a servant remove it. But I digress. Falafel is so good. When I was living there I had two spots to get falafel. I was pretty much the only white guy who frequented them. I’d go a few times a week. Tipping servers in most Arabian countries is not usual, but as a Canadian, I tip well. So I would always tip the guys a few riyals each as a gratuity. Well needless to say that they responded with their gratitude in spades. When I walked in, they knew my order, knew how I liked it, and gave me free food to eat while I waited. They loved me. Those guys made a pittance compared to me, but I never looked down on them, I looked upon their drive and hard work. I know the extra money I gave them helped them out a lot and isn’t that the definition of humanity; being kind.

Final story. I was at the grocery store today when a guy on a skateboard approached me in the parking lot. I was decked out in all black, black mask, as I usually am (Sea Shepard hoodie even though it's 90 degrees today). He wanted to know if I could go back into the store and buy him diapers for his daughter. I knew he was authentic because he never asked for money but offered me a very nice watch for a makeshift consignment deal. I get the diapers, keep the watch. I can read people very well and knew he was hurting. I liked the watch (I collect them) but declined his offer. I gave him a five-dollar bill, I usually never carry cash so it was all I had on me. The point of this diatribe is don't judge people on how they look and just perceive them as a human. Just be kind to people, you have no idea what hole they may have been in, what hole they are still digging out of, or what problems they will face when they get to the surface. It’s not about giving money, it’s about giving heart.

Aiding someone in need is generally not selfless. It makes you feel good about yourself and your decisions. Altruism isn’t a real thing when you look at it, but that doesn’t mean you can't change the world by being kind. To give of yourself to aid someone in need is a noble endeavor and it defines you as a good person; a good human being. We should always remember that the smallest little thing for you can make a world of difference for someone else. Just be kind and help in any means you can, it’s the only way we’ll save the world. Bless.