Kenobi's "hello there" is the equivalent of my "hi folks", isn't it

"Hey folks, you have a brief moment for a good cause?"

When I was a fundraiser this was often my greeting to people walking by.

"Hey folks, you have a brief moment for a good cause?"

Such good times.

In college one of my college professors and I ended up talking about the work "folks", too. He had told me that it surprised him, but someone come complained feeling offended by that term when he used it. He simply didn't know it wasn't acceptable.

I told him that I use it too and haven't been told it's offensive, but yes had coworkers and a boss tell me it's strange to use.

We both sat there with mutual confusing and understanding.

Professor J is great. I should go visit him sometime.

Fighting ignorance with ignorance does not work

Fighting ignorance with ignorance does not work.

Intentionally misunderstanding or accidentally oversimplifying a person's thoughts, feelings, or motives will not persuade them to your side.

Talking down to them will not make them want to hear you talk.

~~

Other peoples' choices may not be our responsibility to make, but pushing them away can have dangerous consequences. 

I know it can be hard, and I know it's frustrating, but we have to be careful about how we talk to people if we're gonna achieve the outcome we want.

Remember: don't get so caught up in fighting against that we forget what we're fighting for.

Without Modern Medicine

It's always strange to think about how without access to modern medicine I would be dead right now.

In fact, I probably would have died as a toddler. I never would have gone to school, never would have become a stronger person from overcoming whatever difficulties, never would have become a Christian or taught anyone else about the bible, or anything else except being a lesson for my parents on how to let go. I never would have made the friends I have made except one, or traveled, wrote poetry, or organized any events or played games with my friends or learned any songs or started any campfires. 

As a fundraiser when people would ask "why" I do this it was almost difficult to sum it up in one sentence, especially when I couldn't tell for sure if they were coming from the angle of "because it's not going to end poverty overall", or just a general "what motivates you?" Other times it was a prequel to a more specific question like I chose this charity, or occasionally if I am religious, but those ones are easy.

Sometimes I'd go with the starfish story. If that felt too long for the situation, then the best I might come up with is because even if it won't change the whole world, it will change somebody's world. I did nothing to earn the situation I was born into, and if I were born into theirs I'd really hope someone would help me this way.

Sometimes people would criticize us for helping people who live in other countries. It does not invalidate the plight of people who live in ours or mean we should not help them too to decide to help a stranger from another place with their basic needs for survival.

Who cares what side of an imaginary line on a map we were born on? Let's just help whoever we can, whoever is in reach. It is truly sad that sometimes people in need within our our country of residence are actually harder to help than someone from another, but that doesn't make it wrong to help the person from somewhere else.

"I'm looking forward to the day we'll both be out of a job."

"I'm looking forward to the day we'll both be out of a job."

Charity fundraisers and soldiers. Doctors and Funeral Homes.

(Isaiah 26:21,22)
~~~
I remember realizing that I was a fundraiser aka professional beggar on someone else's behalf. It's a sad and unusual honour to plead on behalf of peoples whose voices are not heard for no fault of their own.

I can't wait for a world when all the fundraisers and soldiers and doctors will be out of jobs. Doctors. Funeral homes. They'll need a new job and I'm sure they'll be happy for the reassignment.

The Weight of The World Dialogues

I'd rather have a heart heavy with the weight of the world than one that is empty.

"Stop carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders."

"If more people helped it wouldn't feel so heavy."

"You can't change the whole world. It won't make a difference."

"We might not change the whole world, but at least we can change somebody's world. It will make a world of a difference to them."