Too often the trend in our Dominican society is for people to be separated from each other, to be cut off from the great mass of humanity for whatever reasons, and in doing so to be dehumanized a little bit more with each step.
The steady influx of cars has taken us off the streets and sidewalks, where we used to greet each other and stop to chat. Cubicles have taken away a bit of the humanity in working, as have factories and to some extend computers. Television has clued us firmly in our living rooms, gone are the days when people use to go out to socialize with other people. Even movie theaters, where many people get together, cut us off from true conversation because we’re all staring at a big screen.
And while I’m not against any of these inventions, what we must guard against this tendency of individuality where we focus on ourselves and keeping out of our fellow islanders. The tendency towards selfishness rather than giving, on helping ourselves rather than helping our brothers and sisters in humanity.
I’m not saying we are all like that, but the way things are going – it can happen if we are not careful. So let’s strike back against the self-interest and greed of our modern world, and help out someone today. Not next week, but today.
Helping a fellow human being, while it can be problematic at times, has a few humble advantages:
1.It makes you feel better about yourself;
2.It improves the life of another, at least a little;
3.It connects you with another person, at least for a moment, if not for life.
4.It makes the world a better place, one little step at a time;
5.And if that kindness is passed on, it can multiply, and multiply;
So take just a few minutes today, and do a kindness for another person. It can be something small or the start of something big. Ask them to pay it forward. Put a smile on someone’s face…I promise you will feel good about yourself.
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