I had an interesting weekend. Long story short, hubby and I ended up on a staycation versus our trip to NY we had planned for 5 days. We decided we’d take the time anyway since the kids already being cared for and it would be good to spend the few days decompressing. Today is the last day of that vacation and tomorrow it will be back to it for both of us.
We decided we would stay in the city (we live in the country) and would ride public transit as much as possible, and walk for the most part, to where we wanted to go. Well, I think I must be living under a rock. And sometimes I am, when in the world of Internet Marketing and Self Employment.
I saw in 4 days what looked to be 2 extremes of people. Those struggling and those not. I also noticed how unhappy people looked as they walked around town. While I do my best to be a non-judgmental person it’s hard notice things when you’re people watching. Mind you, I do all right, have some nice things in life but you’ll also find I’m a jeans and sweatshirt kind of girl and I drive a minivan. I am as low maintenance as they come for the most part. (Yes, I do have my eyes on a BMW).
I digress, anyway – as I was looking around and observing (and listening not by choice) to people it occurred to me that we need to wake up more of our sleeping society. There are so many people in need of help that actually may need hope and encouragement more than anything. A mentor. I watched teen moms struggling with children getting on the bus, themselves overweight. Homeless wandering in the heat, many overweight people who looked tired and unhappy. People just seeming to go along to get along with struggle and strife. They just looked deflated.
If some of these people I saw had an extra $50 or $100 a day, I know their lives would be changed. Everything from better food to their living environment.
The challenge is in getting them to believe that they can have more and better. Low self-esteem, depression and anxiety are so prevalent right now in society.
I don’t walk around with rose colored glasses but I have a strong belief in myself and my abilities to create for myself and to teach others to create for themselves, if they believe they can. But wow. I can only touch so many at a time. How do we do this?
Is it really that bad in this economy?
Is there a way to give people the hope and encouragement they need even if they’ve “given up”?
How do we reach the everyday person? The single teen mom? The average family that may have lost a job and are now in poverty?
I truly believe in the strength of personal development. I think this needs to be taught more to our children and young people. As adults a strong sense of self is important, as is good character and integrity. How do we learn this if we are not taught? Hmmm.
I’m worried about our people. I have been worried for a while about the obesity crisis in this country and now I think I’m more worried about the economic crisis. This post strayed from my normal upbeat posts. I felt I needed to get off my chest what I saw this weekend and how it profoundly affected me. Maybe I was ready for it or needed it. Now I just wonder what comes next.
Things that make you go hmmmmm…….
Have a great week my friends and remember to smile at someone you pass on the street. It may be just what you both need.
