Don’t need to be rich and famous to do good. Making a difference is part of being a thinking caring human.
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So, here I was on my hands and knees scrubbing the toilet in my apartment. It seemed like the right thing to do after being awakened–third day in a row–by the twins across the way in the next apartment building. The one that if I spit at, I could not miss. The young couple—parental units of said twins—moved there a few years ago, and with the exception of a few occasional broadcasts of late night loud and bad music, we had no issues. But then they went ahead and decided to reproduce (not that there is anything wrong with it in and of itself, after all I did it myself with great results).
The problems began when the babies decided to start interacting with their parents, which obviously left those parents at a complete loss due their apparant lack of capacity to rise to this “double bundle of joy” challenge. All I could deduce is that they never got the second part of the offspring owners’ manual, specifically the part that deals with what you do with babies you bring home after you figured out how to actually make them.
As a result, these two kids—setting their own schedule—decided to wake up at around 5:00 AM—seven days a week & holidays included—and proceed to cry, whine, scream and cry, whine, scream again for good measure, waking me up hours ahead of schedule in the process, which is how I found myself scrubbing the toilet at 5:30 AM one fair morning, when a thought hit me with category 5 Hurricane force: “Does Brad Pitt clean his toilet?”
No, you are wrong! I’m not specifically picking on Mr. Pitt. I happen to like and respect him as an actor–-his performance in “The Tree of Life” is nothing short of spectacular, the biggest compliment being that one can hardly recognize him in that role or confuse it with his usual strikingly handsome leading man ones. I also respect his humanitarian efforts and generosity with his fellow man, woman and child which is simply additional and generous icing on the cake. Having also reproduced with the lovely Ms. Jolie just adds vegan goodness on top of his other accomplishments, and provides much needed beauty to the human population on our small planet.
However, that still did not stop me from taking a much-needed break and ponder how different our lives turned out. I’m going to come clean, admit and state with complete certainty that I would delight in traveling, supporting and assisting the lovely Ms. Jolie in her humanitarian efforts in Africa and elsewhere. I would equally delight in participating in the good work that is the reconstruction of homes in New Orleans, as well as a plethora of other good charitable endeavors. I would also not mind in the least having someone to clean and scrub my toilets (both of them, yes I actually have two, one for each bedroom), and the kitchen and vacuum and dust and do the laundry and cook meals and clear the table and wash dishes after and… Come to think of it, a weekly massage would definitely be appreciated. Having a fitness trainer to hold gravity and muscle loss at bay would also be very nice indeed (I would not mind reclaiming that body I used to have in high school and college–toned and muscled by exercise, track and swimming–used to be a hit with the female contingency and a source of great pleasure for both). Given some additional thought, I’m sure I would come up with a much longer list (maybe Brad can help?)
So back in the reality of my life, there I was, post the vacuuming and in the middle of scrubbing the toilet with environment friendly cleaners (yes I do care what kind of planet we leave the next generation, which includes my one and only son and heir), wondering about those that don’t have to do all that. Those people that have other people to do all those life chores for them, some by marrying the right spouse or being born to the manor, so to speak, and some who can simply afford to purchase those services in the open market having amassed the right resources (I am specifically excluding those other people who just don’t do any of it at all, choosing instead to live in filth and chaos.)
I was specifically wondering about those that don’t have to do life chores but also don’t do all the extracurricular things that Brad does and couldn’t help thinking: What do they do all day? How do they occupy themselves and prevent their brains from turning to mush? What do they do with all that free time? Quite a mystery, don’t you think?
Just imagine if all of them/us spend a little of the spare time we have (or don’t have) doing something nice and good for others in and for our immediate community. Just imagine how that would cascade and exponentially multiply (kind of like the “Butterfly Effect”). Just imagine how it would make our immediate environment and world better. I bet you that if we all did a little good around us, the collective impact would change the world improving all our lives, and all that without requiring the benefit of fame and fortune, simply using the power of humanity.
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Featured Photo: Sean Sebastian /Flicker
Photo: Catherine Markel /Flicker
That’s one of Pitt’s homes? Looks like a jail. But that’s beside the point … sorry. I think it would be a great if people blocked out time to help others. In our Sunday church bulletin, we’re always looking for volunteers for various projects, events and services. I really don’t know what a lot of people do all day.
Thank you for the comment. That is one of the homes his Pitt’s foundation built in the lower 9th ward to replace one destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. It is built to survive floods and hurricanes and is green and efficient. He is doing great work there and has built many homes. Check out the link to his foundation below the house photo and continue with the good work.