Quiet Good

"You don't have to know somebody to do good for somebody."
-Mennonite Woman

I was watching a nightly news story about Mennonite's from Central Pennsylvania that went to Diamond, Louisiana to assist those still recovering from Hurricane Katrina. They are rebuilding homes for many folks, which in turn is helping rebuild lives. All without payment, all without banners and celebrations. Quietly going about doing something good.

It is something that happens more often than you might think. There are individuals doing good things quietly. Many times people are helping those they know from family, church or work. Maybe a friend or other person through your child's school are being attended to. People helping other people within the community.

But as the unknown Mennonite woman said, "you don't have to know somebody to do good for somebody." It is giving for your fellow human being. It is helping out someone in need. It is doing all of this for the sole purpose of just doing good.

So many people have their stories of doing something for another; quietly and without trumpets and horns heralding their deed. If you would like to anonymously share your story, let me know. Send me a private email to josephprimm@bellsouth.net and I'll share the stories with others.

When No One Is Watching

DigitEL - Shadow Tree

"Character is like a tree and reputation like a shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing." -Abraham Lincoln

I was, putting it in a very uncool phrase,"surfing the web" for information on the subject of this article. Normally I pick a subject and then look for an accomodating quote. Today things happened a little backwards.

As I was "surfing the net" (much cooler phrase), I happened upon the above image created by DigitEL. The illusion of the tree's shadow on the hedges caught me right away. It really made me think of how we project an image to others but the real us is revealed when no one is watching.

The quote happened to follow pretty quickly, sort of a serendipitous discovery. I get lucky that way when writing some days. Things just come together. It works well as I like to write in private, quietly and all alone. All of this I do when no one is watching.

As you conduct the business of the day, the nice suit and tie exuding confidence. Your smile and friendly aura fills the office and lives of others. But what happens when you go home, in the privacy of home with your spouse and children. Do they get that same attention and care. What happens when no one is watching.

You might ask if we all need perfection? I wish we could but we should try to strive for it. The person we are in public should be the same person we are in private as best we can. The stress of the day can mount and tire you until you come home and it all releases when no one is watching.

But guess what, your kids are watching. Your wife is watching. The neighbors at the very least can hear it. More importantly, you can see it yourself. Look in the mirror to see whom is the real you when no one is watching.

I try to apply all that I write. I try to be the person both in private and publicly that these words encourage you to be. I know that others are watching me. I know that my family is watching. I know that I strive to be a better person even when no one else is watching.

We can live the two lives of a tree and its shadow, or we can be the rock solid tree with our one identity. Like the tree, we will go through our seasons of wonderful color, the loss and the budding new green of life.

But those things will be the real us and not a shadowing attempt at something which isn't. We will always be that tall and strong oak tree, even when no one is watching.

Thunderstorms

"We must build dikes of courage to hold back the flood of fear." -Martin Luther King, Jr.

Early one morning, I was awaken by the crashing boom of thunder. It was the type of thunder that rattles the very walls of the house. There was very little lightening to warn you of the coming thunder. At first is was odd not to see the lightening followed by the thunderous sound.

Quickly though it lulled me back to sleep. That in itself would amaze many of my siblings. I am unsure how it developed, but I had a deathly fear of storms when growing up. And since I grew up on the plains of Nebraska, large thunderstorms were common.

The mere thought of a raging storm filled with lightening and thunder raised fears of great proportion in me. There were times in which I felt so afraid and would cower in a basement corner. The fear holding a tight grip on me in a way I couldn't explain.

Fear can have a debilitating effect on you in ways that can crush your ability to do anything at all. It stifles and takes hold of your entire life. Fear basically keeps you from moving on with your life.

Take the news stories of the telecommunications giant AT&T agreeing to purchase T-Mobile for $39 billion dollars. A staggering sum of money, but with many individual people affected. I know many of those people that work in many various positions. They range from sales associates, to managers and even regional directors. Each of these people will be affected; both in good and bad ways.

One of these folks is a store manager and recently admitted that she at first could have gone to fear with the news. She could have thought the worst; allowing doom and gloom to cover her life. But she resolved to trust first in her faith and secondly in her ability to push through whatever happens.

You may think that is a naive way of thinking. But it is always easier to go to the negative. It always takes more effort to remain positive. Success and achievement take effort.

When the storms come crashing through your window, will you allow fear to rule? Or will you face the fear with resolve to overcome it?

I can tell you that my fear of thunderstorms caused me sleepless nights. Storms ruled the day until I realized that it wasn't the storms; it was the fear that I was allowing to rule my life.

The first crack of thunder still wakes me at night, but it also lulls me back to a gentle sleep. Fear remains outside to fend for itself, far from the life you are building.

Walk the Distance

"Everywhere is within walking distance if you have the time." -Steven Wright

Recently I had a Twitter exchange with @LaughNYC. Originally he had tweeted, "I've got a frog in my mouth and it's making me horse <----lots of animals going on in there." And being the wise guy that I can sometimes be retweeted it with the comment, "Galloping frogs legs Batman!"

Humor, dry at times or outright guffaws, has a place in our life. It is a way to ease the tension and a way to simply make you feel good. Humor can make a point about life in a light hearted way. Or it can be very piercing and spirited in the punch line.

Either way, humor has its place in our life. As noted by the comedian Steven Wright, the road we are on is long, but only if we have enough time to walk its length. His dry wit has always amused me but his point is well taken. You can get to any place that you want by walking; that is if you have enough time.

Achieving our dreams or goals are just as achievable. You simply need to have enough time and persistance to get to them. But it means getting up now and moving towards it. That along with time and a little humor will get you most anywhere you want.