Being a do-gooder has it benefits—despite what you may think—and the most rewarding of them all is that priceless feeling in your heart.
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Doing good is an addiction I refuse to seek help for. Actually, being a do-gooder is something I’m quite proud of, despite society’s view of do-gooders as being a “naïve idealist.”
To be honest, I’m quite offended and even more, confused by that definition. Yeah, I’m sure it finds it origins in the days of privileged white people coming into poor neighbors, painting a school and then heading back to the safe part of town—or as the Urban Dictionary puts it: “someone who thinks they are helping society by championing oppressed minority groups, when in fact they are ruining society and crippling free speech—but I, as a part of a traditionally oppressed minority group, don’t quite comprehend what’s naïve about doing good for goodness sake. And for the record, if anyone is the “naïve idealist,” it’s the “let’s vote the black guy as President so he can change the world by himself and legalize weed” guy … Yeah, you.
See, while society may look at me and say: “that f**king do-gooder, always trying to help somebody or fight some cause,” I’m eyeballing you right back, thinking: “that God damn do-nothinger, can they not see the condition of the world?”
Now, sure, most people are content with the way society operates. To stand by and record someone be beaten on a subway platform has replaced bird watching as a subtle past-time. And building “PR companies” that charge dreamers to make a phone call to someone who can help them, is capitalism with a capital C, and for me, that C stands for crap.
Why can’t you, Mr. Bossman, just make the phone call to your well-connected friend and be rewarded by seeing the dreamer you helped dream another dream? Damn, do you really need to be paid for everything? Now, Mr. Bossman might reply and say: “Yes, you silly do-gooder, you. I do need to be paid for everything that is the American dream. It’s the way the world works, grow up, kid.”
I would reply to Mr. Bossman and say:
Well, see, that’s where you’re wrong big guy. The world doesn’t work; it’s actually barely hanging on. And, just for housekeeping purposes, your selfish ass attitude and need for greed is what’s limiting its productivity.
I know you think you’re living large, with your penthouse and your fancy cars, vacation homes and mistress who will swallow your every word, but really you’re missing out on the good life you could be having if you were driven by purpose and not profit.
A purpose-driven life, at least for me, keeps me anxious for the next day. Every day I go to sleep feels like Christmas Eve for a six year-old. I know that when I wake up tomorrow I’ll be able to give a gift—more than one if I’m lucky—and that, well that for me, is the good life.
The good life has taken me across the country and allowed me to see and do things—meet people—which Mr. Bossman—no matter how much I paid him—wouldn’t have been able to foster for me. The good life keeps me young and humble, remembering that I’m only here to make people smile and grow.
At 27, the good life has allowed me to accomplish things that weren’t scheduled until my 30th. The good life has nothing to do with money or status, but has everything to do with how you use your life to positively impact others.
The reality is the world is f**ked up and can really use as much good as possible. So, the next time you shape your mouth to say the word do-gooder in a negative context, ask yourself: “If they’re doing good, what am I doing?”
Thanks for reading. Until next time, I’m Flood the Drummer® & I’m Drumming for JUSTICE!™
Source: TBO Inc®
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Photo: C. Norris – ©2013