“What am I doing?
I know about one light in the darkness. I remember my mother’s advice, past centuries’ clichés, philosophical reasons, and ethical principles behind giving. But, good grief, how can I compete? How can I possibly do what the Mother Bear logo on the t-shirt instructs me to do?
“Make a difference,” it says.
Do you want to know what’s written on the back of the “Make Poverty History” t-shirt?
“Poverty kills a child every three seconds.”
How can I compete with the big give, the fast give? How can my one hundred little Bears make a difference? A movie star can hire a jet, fill it with sacks of flour, powdered milk, and malaria pills, and fly it out within days. A politician can feed the mouths of a thousand children with the stroke of his pen. A television show can give away, in twenty-four hours, enough money to sustain several families for years to come.
Well, I can’t compete with that. I am glad for their big, fast contributions, because they make a big, fast difference. But I can’t compete.
Strike the word “compete” from my dictionary!
I had to reread a page in Bob Samples’ wonderful book “The Metaphoric Mind:”
“Human freedom includes freedom to create the metaphors by which we live, then to choose whether these metaphors limit or extend. All ideas can be tools or weapons. It is the choice that makes the difference.”
“What am I doing? I am extending!”
I am sending my good will along with each Bear. I capitalize the word Bear now because to me Bear is a metaphor. Bear is good karma. Bear carries C G Jung’s collective unconscious. Bear unites me with givers and receivers. Bear knits together past and future.
“Bear with us!”
P.S. Bear number twenty-nine posed for the above picture. This is his third photo shoot. Finally we are happy with the outcome.
I know about one light in the darkness. I remember my mother’s advice, past centuries’ clichés, philosophical reasons, and ethical principles behind giving. But, good grief, how can I compete? How can I possibly do what the Mother Bear logo on the t-shirt instructs me to do?
“Make a difference,” it says.
Do you want to know what’s written on the back of the “Make Poverty History” t-shirt?
“Poverty kills a child every three seconds.”
How can I compete with the big give, the fast give? How can my one hundred little Bears make a difference? A movie star can hire a jet, fill it with sacks of flour, powdered milk, and malaria pills, and fly it out within days. A politician can feed the mouths of a thousand children with the stroke of his pen. A television show can give away, in twenty-four hours, enough money to sustain several families for years to come.
Well, I can’t compete with that. I am glad for their big, fast contributions, because they make a big, fast difference. But I can’t compete.
Strike the word “compete” from my dictionary!
I had to reread a page in Bob Samples’ wonderful book “The Metaphoric Mind:”
“Human freedom includes freedom to create the metaphors by which we live, then to choose whether these metaphors limit or extend. All ideas can be tools or weapons. It is the choice that makes the difference.”
“What am I doing? I am extending!”
I am sending my good will along with each Bear. I capitalize the word Bear now because to me Bear is a metaphor. Bear is good karma. Bear carries C G Jung’s collective unconscious. Bear unites me with givers and receivers. Bear knits together past and future.
“Bear with us!”
P.S. Bear number twenty-nine posed for the above picture. This is his third photo shoot. Finally we are happy with the outcome.
1 comment:
Perhaps the movie stars and politicians do what they do because they don't know how to knit bears! A couple of years ago when I was first knitting with MBP, I went to a local high school to tell about the bears. All of the members of the Diversity Club were very receptive except one. He was furious the project was not providing food for the kids. I told him I support causes which feed and care for the kids, but they don't provide emotional comfort. He didn't understand what I was getting at. Perhaps he was just too angry there are kids starving in this world. I'm angry about that, too. I feel as long as each of us does what we can to help as many as we can, we are making the world a better place. Even the most basic bear is a creative way to help heal. Your bears are spectacular and provide very creative healing.
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