When People Cared.....

Everyone helped everyone else, once upon a time, and it was a pleasant world. A world where:

1. People helped out during emergencies (and not just family).
2. People took the time to say "Hi, how are you doing," and really wanted to know.
3. Handmade Halloween treats could be handed out to pretend characters, and they were safe to eat.
4. Neighbors said hi and really did have coffee together.
5. Business people really did have lunch with their friends (and they didn't charge it to the business either).

Did everyone go to sleep one night and wake up different? No, it happened gradually. There have been so many financial and political problems coupled with war and starvation that some people didn't even know where their next meal was coming from.

Is that what happened? Did we all just have so many bad things happen that we just couldn't care anymore? Or did we just stop caring because everyone else did? Good questions. I wonder if any of us can answer them.

Cola over ice on the porch swing. Fourth of July parades and BBQ's everywhere you look. Christmas smiles and warm greetings from friend, strangers, and even foes. Bike rides to the beach for swimming fun with friends. Trips to the ice cream place for ice cream and a ride in the back of the pick up. Jumping into Autumn leaves and sharing a plate of cookies your grandmother made for you and your friends.

I know some of these, probably most of these, couldn't be done by some readers; but I bet you have some great memories of your childhood days tucked way back in some corner of the library of your mind (hint: look under the cobwebs, they might be there).

You watch the news and see fraud, murder, hatred, bombs, and people who are supposed to be caring for our country are being sent to jail for taking our money. I believe that people have begun to feel like they have been used and abused all these years. Wages, work ethics, ever-growing demands at work, lack of good housing have caused people to fight for themselves.

That means now people are self-caring. No more helping others. Help yourself because everyone else does. I see it all the time. We of the present can't seem to emulate those in the past. We can't begin to remember our manners (please, thank you, your welcome, have a good day, etc.). We can't seem to see the other side of things. We can't figure out how to help without asking for something in return. We have lost the safe, comfy, and happy life we once enjoyed. We are breaking down like the bridge below. No maintenance. No weather protection. No help.

I know there are lots of people out there who still care about their neighbors and help others out when things are tight because they cared. It just seems these days that such people are few and far between. Not because they can't, but because they are afraid to be considered vulnerable.

So this is a formal call for all of you out there who care about others, who care about morals and justice (okay I don't want to get too far into it), just rise up and tell everyone who you are. Offer help to that little old lady. Help your neighbor take in the groceries. Keep an eye on the kids that are out playing. Call the police even if you aren't sure it's really an emergency. Help. Try to get back to caring about your neighbor without fighting over the little things.