What to do for Thanksgiving (contains graphic image)

[Lex]

A couple of years ago Grasshopper from Inner Visions sent out this email at Thanksgiving:


"Greetings Reggae Family, we use the electronic media for lots of things concerning our music, but as I contemplate sending out another 'Inner Visions" happenings report, I remembered a photo that has again jolted my "inner" being. The photo below was posted by Ras Adam Simeon on "Conscious Party Forum" this past Thanksgiving. It highlights the need for more humanitarian consciousness on a global scale.
 
"This photograph showing a starving Sudanese child being stalked by a vulture won Kevin Carter the 1994 Pulitzer Prize for feature photography." PLEASE NOTE: The photographer later took his own life---two months after receiving the prize!
 


"We the members of Inner Visions stand shoulder to shoulder with those who see the injustice around this world and continue to cry out for help! We challenge you to find an organization (or if you have the means to create one) and let's roll up our sleaves and get to work! There is still lots to be done. We do have much to be "thankful" for and one of those things should be the ability to love with compassion. Yes there is greed within the ranks of many of these organizations but if a loaf of bread and a piece of fish got to this child on that day, she probably would be able to stone the vulture away. So give with your heart and expect a blessing!
 
Blessings,
Inner Visions"



I printed a copy of the photo and keep it in my office. It's not hanging on the wall. It's not in sight, but it's easily reached. As it did with Grass, it's an image that's jolted me and lingers in a corner of my mind. I take a look at it sometimes when I need to get my life in perspective. Helps with cultivating gratitude. My clients are people who have problems and sometimes--sparingly--I'll bring the photo out as an example of what a really bad problem might look like. And on a scale of 10, it's not even a 10 yet---the vulture's still waiting. We've had to deal with some very serious, sad and difficult situations in the past year. My problems are still very real problems, but that photo helps put them in perspective. Some of my problems are really critical. But elsewhere in the world, some of my problems wouldn't be seen as problems at all, possibly as inconveniences.

Things are pretty hard all around the world right now---harder than we're used to and the future's much less certain than it's been for quite a while. And I'm counting my blessings and cultivating gratitude. This year we're trying to be a bit deeper and more serious about what it means to give thanks---more than saying grace and eating. We've also been feeling an obligation to take some action to perhaps ease suffering. For Thanksgiving I want to do more than stop my whining, appreciate my life and be thankful. We're feeling an obligation to take some action--do something that would be generous or charitable or kind or human. Ted Kennedy often mentioned that his parents instilled a sense of responsibility in him and his siblings----"to whom much is given, much is expected." I don't usually think of myself as having a whole lot, which is why it's good for me to take an occasional look at the photo. I have so much and take so much for granted.

I'm going to send off some money to Oxfam or Catholic Charities or Save the Children so maybe some people will eat who otherwise might not . Or live who may otherwise not. Earlier in my life I worked in developing countries for a few years and was impressed by the village-level effectiveness of those three organizations.


Another item that helps me to appreciate how much I have was this article about how some folks solve the problem of feeling hungry:

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/01/080130-AP-haiti-eatin.html


Happy Thanksgiving.

[loria]

Well said Lex. working with charity is something we try to live by in this household--we don;t always do the best job but we try . --and it is interesting to see my children's take on some of this--
but I do the same thing, when i find myself cranky and complaining.....but for the grace of God, there go i.
My heart aches in these situations. when you think that stupid stuff like pneumonia kills 2 million kids under 5, diarrhea kills another 1.5 million--things that are easily fixed by access to either vaccine or antibiotics and clean water......things we take so for granted and yet are so stupidly unavailable for so many--.

thank you for reminding us how much we have to be grateful for and how much we can offer others.
_________________
tickerless....sadly

[vi lover]

Amazing post, Lex. Thanks. We Americans forget about how bad it can be here, and abroad. That's an amazing picture - saddened me immediately - brought me back to the perils of humanity.

I'm glad you posted.

VI

[Tracy in WI]

Lex - Thank you so much or posting that picture - the graphic reality of it was stunning. I, too, try to be charitable and try to teach my children the same. We are not struggling and have more than we need in many regards - we can give and do more. Instead, we are often complaining about this or that when we have no idea how bad things could really be.

I plan to print out this picture as well as a reminder and a call to serve. Thank you for providing it.

I recently found out that I will have the opportunity to go to Kenya in March and help with a local school. Although I don't expect the children there to be in any state close to the poor child in that picture, I hope I can be of help to those I will have the opportunity to serve.


Tracy

[Terry]

Lex,
Thank you for this.

I've always appreciated your wisdom.

This picture is worth so much.

[deejayjay]

The true state of starvation was brought home to our family this year. Our son and his wife are adopting a baby girl from ethiopia. In fact they are leaving along with my husband on thanksgiving day to go to get her and bring her home. Before they were assigned this baby, they were assigned another baby. She was 6 weeks old when she was found abandoned and taken to the orphanage. She weighed only 4 lbs. Even with the care of the orphanage, she passed away from malnutrition. The life expectancy in Ethiopia is 42 years, the average age of the population is 18 years, and there are over 5 million orphans. Next week at this time, there will be one less.

[California Girl]

Thanks for shining a light on this, Lex. We all need to be reminded sometimes.
_________________


"A real friend is someone who takes a winter vacation on a sun-drenched beach and does not send a card.” ~ Anonymous

[Lex]

Just to follow up---I've made contributions to Oxfam and to Save the Children. I'll make a Christmas contribution to Catholic Charities.

[JT]

Lex, I was involved with a Feed The Children Christmas dinner for about 5 years in DC. It grew from a couple of hundred kids to about 2500 kids and their mothers from the shelters in DC. I would get up and drive my truck around from about 6:00 a.m. until noon picking up food,presents and props from various business and restaurants. Then I would work the kitchen to help with food prep. Then when the kids started arriving I would monitor the Santa line and supervise the Polaroid picture taking of every kid on Santa's lap and the various Redskins and other celebrities that came. We would go through over 3000 polaroid pics a night! Afterwards I would help with the clean up and get home around 1:00 a.m.
The lady that originally got me involved tried to get me on the local planning board for the event but I wasn't up for that. The people that got that thing together were the real heroes. Eventually it became a place to be seen and there were more volunteers and "generals" trying to take charge and I dropped out of it. Sometimes this charity, or that one is justifiably called a scam, but when one little 4 or 5 year old kid standing in line to see Santa looked up at me and asked me, "Is Santa Claus going to come to my shelter tonight?" I thought I would die of a broken heart. Incidently, that night there was a teenager in a very hot Bart Simpson costume the entire night who never complained about how hot she was, or even took a break. Nobody except the few people working the event knew that Chelsea Clinton ever did her part that night.
_________________
We're all bozos on this bus.-Firesign Theater

[chicagoans]

Great post Lex. I remember seeing that picture from time to time and it always haunts me. Even more poignant as we head into Thanksgiving.

Yes, I'm counting my blessings every day. Thank you for the timely reminder.

[Lex]

That's a nice story, JT. There are good people.

The world's problems and solutions have grown so vastly complex. I sometimes like to get very basic and simple. I have more than I need, some people have less than they need, so have some of mine. Simply because they're human and in need. I believe that God loves all of his children, not just those who live in certain countries. This photo is really affecting me these days. I keep thinking about it. I remember it had the same strong impact when I first saw it. Tonight my wife came home with a load of Thanksgiving groceries and this photo haunted me as I put them away. Basic human needs: food, clothing, shelter. Somebody's starving somewhere, is there anything I can do to put some food in their mouth?

I reread Grasshopper's comments:

"It highlights the need for more humanitarian consciousness on a global scale."
 
"if a loaf of bread and a piece of fish got to this child on that day, she probably would be able to stone the vulture away. So give with your heart and expect a blessing! "

I'm hoping that the bit of money I sent off will possibly keep the vulture away for another day.

Happy Thanksgiving.