perspective Generosity A glimpse of the future learning, being and doing
2020 vision makes it clear how we must act
A W
young man approached me in a parking lot hen yesterday. it rains, it pours as the saying “My And family and if I are staying goes. lately, it rains, it over there and ifsnows. we could get five dollars we could And the fires keep burning get a pizza. If we could get ten we could get on the West Coast, across the west and in two and that would cover us.” our backyards. And the hurricanes keep I hadin. noIsidea whether story wasbeen true.so flooding it crazy that his there have He looked as though he was living rough, many named storms this year that they went though—gaunt, sunken all the way through the cheeks, alphabetdespairing for stormeyes. Without hesitation, I pulled out my names and now they’re just using thewallet Greek and handed him ten bucks. alphabet? Anyway, I digress.I don’t know just why I did it. He wasn’t threatening. wasn’tpandemic over imploring. He just seemed to really need a Throw inHe a global that’s killed more than 200,000 boost right then and interacting with him right there a couple of feet Americans, widespread drought, civil unrest, the economic challenges away, I just felt it was a moment. that some are feeling, an augmented political landscape, and well, if It’s not that I’m on anxious, a missionthen to give away live all ofinour money. walk you aren’t feeling a little you must a cave withIno and drive by plenty of people who are asking for a little push. And I’m human contact and spend your days meditating on kindness, compassion, not driven to help others by a sense of guilt or even a feeling of being generosity, patience and all those other things that are the good side of lucky enough human nature.to have it and these others don’t and so therefore it’s my social obligation do struck it. Norby doisIhow get amuch big sense of satisfaction. I have Actually, whattoI’m kindness, compassion, a hard time pinpointing why I feel compelled to help out sometimes, generosity and patience (yes, I wanted to repeat them for emphasis) I’ve whether scooping sidewalk forwith a neighbor or observed stopping as toI’m push car, seen in my personala interactions people or outa and and other times not so much. about. I’m impressed with human beings overall and dismayed that what Every fall,ada nauseum neighborare of ours comes byactions with his compressor we hear about the abhorrent of air a few who seem and blows out our sprinkler lines. He makes the rounds in our often to have a point they want to make. And that point, in my opinion, corner the“my neighborhood and so gets for winter. Ah, He the falls intoofthe beliefs are right, I’lleveryone do what ready I want” category. doesn’t ask for anything. He just does it because he can. It is not true joy of self-righteousness! But most of us are considerate of whataour transactional any way. neighbors and offer fellowincitizens think. The only point we want to make is Theresa Baer writes this month Learn and Live column that, given the opportunity, we’re hereintoher help. about teaching children to be generous and volunteer. Sheitalso offers And what about our kids? Lynn Nichols to really dives into in her some ideas about where and how. The idea is to help children to be story called “Easing Anxiety—talking to your kids about the crazy times aware of others’ needs and to understand they, themselves, have of 2020.” It’s really a must-read for its ideasthat about how to guide your something to offer. children safely through the dumpster fire that is this year. goal for them, really all of us, to not do generosity an IThe think weishave an amazing opportunity herejust to see with 2020 as vision activity that we have come to understand as something that we should what the world might hold for us and strive to make our little corner dothe because lucky enough to have something other of worldwe’re a better place, not just for ourselves butand for those everyone, or people are struggling. Where we’re really headed with this is for in our if everyone sounds like too much, how about for just a few people children to see people who are just like they are, who just want to be our community. The important part is to choose kindness, compassion, happy just as they do and who don’t want to feel bad just as they don’t generosity and patience. We really are in this together and our happiness wantfortunes to. We want to getinextricably. beyond the them and us feelings. We don’t just and are linked dropBe money in a can and walk by. We stop. We talk and engage with well, people who are just like us. Scott In the end, we want to be generosity, not just do generosity, though the path to being generosity, it seems, lies through the path of doing generosity. ‘Tis the season, Scott
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OCTOBER 2020 2019 •• Volume Volume 25, 24, Issue Issue 56 OCTOBER PUBLISHER PUBLISHER Scott Titterington, (970)221-9210 Scott Titterington, (970)221-9210 scott.rmpublishing@gmail.com scott.rmpublishing@gmail.com EDITOR EDITOR Kristin Titterington, (970)221-9210 Kristin Titterington, (970)221-9210 kristin.rmpublishing@gmail.com kristin.rmpublishing@gmail.com CREATIVE DIRECTOR CREATIVE DIRECTOR Emily Zaynard Emily Zaynard emily.rmpublishing@gmail.com emily.rmpublishing@gmail.com ADVERTISING SALES DIRECTOR ADVERTISING SALES DIRECTOR Greg Hoffman, (970)689-6832 Greg Hoffman, (970)689-6832 greg.rmpublishing@gmail.com greg.rmpublishing@gmail.com DISTRIBUTION MANAGER DISTRIBUTION MANAGER ADVERTISING SALES EXECUTIVE Susan SusanHarting Hartig susan.rmpublishing@gmail.com COVER PHOTO Cheri istockphoto.com Schonfeld, Courtesy of Sky’s Open Design - skysopendesign.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Theresa Baer, Lea Hanson, Katie Harris CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Lynn U. Nichols, Scott Titterington Theresa Baer, Lea Hanson, Katie Harris, Lynn U. Nichols
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