On Charity and Charitability (ie. what you can do)

Rather than looking for a charity to donate to, I've found it useful to rather be charitable in all the situations I find myself in.

Mr. Rogers always said to "Look for the helpers" and I found that advice very meaningful growing up. But it's time to set the example while looking for the role models to emulate; it's time to be an emulatable example yourself. As I've grown into an adult, I've tried to be the helper in as many situations as possible.

Or, if you prefer Marcus Aurelius to Mr. Rogers:

Waste no more time arguing about what a good man should be. Be one.

Generating goodwill is a powerful thing. We should be gaining the masses to our side.

From each according to ability - you should be giving a lot if you have the ability to do so. We should be seeking to provide for everyone who is in need.

I'll share a few stories of ways I've found to be charitable in the recent past here.

Dropped Jacket and Picking Platforms

Oct 05, 2022

Two cool things happened today.

First, at lunch, a couple kids were running past me in midtown. One of em had an open backpack and his jacket fell without him noticing. I yelled, "hey kid, you dropped your jacket!" and luckily I was able to get his attention. And in front of me, a nice lady picked up the jacket to hand back to the dude as he ran back to grab it. It was a nice moment; I'm glad the kid didn't lose the jacket.

Then, after work while waiting on the subway, a lady approached someone for help. The other party was on their phone and unreceptive, but I had glanced up and smiled when she walked to our area. She came to me next, and she asked if I could help. Her accent seemed somewhat French, but I couldn't tell for sure. I assured her I'd give it my best shot. She asked if I knew which side of the platform she had to get on if she was going to Times Square. It was an easy ask - she wanted a Brooklyn-bound train, as opposed to the Queens-bound I was waiting on, and I told her as such. That was a nice moment too; it felt meaningful being able to help her, even in such a small way.

Spotted Lanternflies and Big Macs

Nov 04, 2022

I went out for a walk a few minutes ago. As I exited my apartment, I noticed a spotted lanternfly crawling in between the doorbell and the doorframe, in a crevice too small to thwack with a shoe.

I didn't really look around, the street is always busy, I just thought "I hope nobody thinks I'm some sorta sicko" as I slipped off my right shoe and felt the cold concrete under my right sock.

I waited for a little. I always consider the fact that these creatures are merely fulfilling their design, propagating as imbibed into their nature. I consider that they've done no known wrong as I take their lives and end their ability to invade our shared earth. I rarely watch lanternflies move, I'm always quick to the draw. But I saw it feel the cracks in the brick, I saw it move carefully towards the sky. There's deep and beautiful intricacy to all animal movement, which I sometimes forget to observe in the creatures I've abstracted as dead-on-sight.

When it moved far enough from the doorbell, I swat it once. As it fell to the ground, I double tapped it, harder, at its landing spot.

While I was kneeling over the dead lanternfly, my shoe an inch above it in my hand, a young girl, maybe 12, maybe 14, addresses me: "Hey sir, do you want this Big Mac? I'm just not hungry" as she holds out a familiar cardboard box.

I'm flustered, I hadn't expected human interaction at that moment; I had just inflicted death upon the world. I half laughed and said "no thank you! have a good day though." She had kind eyes, I don't know why she stopped at me specifically. If she stopped a moment later, I probably would've taken the sandwich - I was leaving to forage for sustenance, I'm starving at this very moment.

But she'd have found someone who wants her sandwich in a moment if she asked a bit further down the block, there's enough hunger to go around. It was a nice gesture to see from someone so young; in her way, she was providing what little she had. I appreciate that. I like seeing kids who care about the world, I think she demonstrated some of the great beauty in humanity in what was clearly an awkward and slightly uncomfortable gesture from her. I hope she keeps trying to help others in the future, as should we all aspire to do.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Spotted Lanternflies are an invasive species. I mention them, and kudzu, in On Uniting.

TODO: Subway story, food to lady

TODO: Tipping really well for meaningful purchases

• Guitar story
• art commission story

Being nice

index tags: Charity, Charitability, New York, Subway, Stories, Food, Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, Fred Rogers, Helping, Spotted Lanternflies and Big Macs, Dropped Jacket and Picking Platforms

category tags: Personal Writings