"...each one of us should do something to make life better for somebody, to change the course of events, even if only in the most local sense." - Alexander Mc Call Smith.
How easy it is not to get involved, not to put oneself out, to feel that one is too insignificant to make a difference to anything important, or one has too many problems of one's own to cope with someone else's. Rubbish! Simply a kind word or action can make a huge difference to someone in trouble. How positive is a little encouragement, a suggestion of a solution to a problem, an offer of help, a visit, phone call or email, or just an acknowledgement that someone is having a rough time.
At the other end of the spectrum there are numerous examples of how individuals doing small things together can actually effect huge positive change. Non smoking in public places, drink driving, the fall of the Berlin Wall, The Arab Spring, Nuclear Disarmament, Live Aid, volunteering.
Our society has changed so much. We no longer have the family networks or even close friendships we once had. Neighbours are often only glimpsed infrequently. So many people live alone & cope alone - or not. We are in danger of becoming ever more insular & wrapped up in our own lives. Once the habit is established it is very hard to break. The older you get, the harder it is to make new meaningful relationships.
“The fluttering of a butterfly's wings can effect climate changes on the other side of the planet” - Paul Erlich. Each one of us is a the butterfly's wing. We can effect micro and macro change. We just have to want to do it & be prepared to make the effort.
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