Blog 262 – 03.31.2016

I was awakened in the middle of the night with the idea for this blog. Growing up in the Western philosophy of Right vs Wrong, Black vs White, Light vs Darkness, and Positive vs Negative my life has been one of Dualism. I like many of my contemporaries was taught to judge every action as right or wrong and I just do not buy that way of thinking any more and so this blog may seem a bit funny because I am using those same old terms to make a point.

The oath doctors take is “To do no harm.” That just is not nearly enough. I have a dear friend whose beloved husband died twenty seven years ago. To honor Frank’s memory, she and her son in law vowed to do one “good deed” every day. Frank had been an Army Medic in World War Two and after the war he had made it a point to do one good deed every day, not for show, credit, or reward but simple to do his part to make this a kinder gentler nation and world. Frank Oliverio did more good than most if not all priests, preachers, teachers, doctors, and nurses. No one ever left his restaurant hungry even if they could not afford to pay. And as I said he did his good deeds quietly without fanfare and attention. But he touched a lot of lives. I never got to meet him but know a lot about him through my friend and I admire him and the legacy he left.

Doing no wrong is not nearly enough. Actually doing a little wrong trying to do a good deed every day would leave a net result of a lot more good for all of us. Frank’s widow and son-in-law are not saints and they often get weary in well doing. I have heard them both say more than once that “No good deed goes unpunished.” Often when we try to help someone it backfires, is not appreciated, or the Chinese proverb tries to kick in. You remember the one, “If you save a life you are responsible for that life from then on.” Wait a minute, I was just trying to help not adopt you to raise. I had a “one time gift in mind” not a pledge of so much a month for the rest of my life.

Good deeds, alms, charitable donations are all good opportunities for us to give back and keep the channel open for goodness to flow to us and through us to others. But there are some who abuse this impulse to help and charities are often frauds and even some of the more well known filter only pennies on a dollar of the monies they collect to the people in need.

My friend, with a veterans group she works with, raised a large sum of money for The Wounded Warrior Project but when an actually wounded warrior spoke before the group and revealed how little help they actually give wounded warriors, her group decided to send personal checks to individual wounded warriors on a list they got from the Veterans Administration. That way they knew every penny went to a wounded warrior.

I say again, it is not enough to keep all the rules, just to do no wrong. We must do good for good to grow. The Good Samaritan parable of Jesus sets the example. The movie Pay It Forward shows us more examples. Are we afraid people will think we are Boy Scouts, religious nuts, or trying to con them if we just try to do a good deed? Do a good deed today for someone who cannot pay you back ask them to pay it forward if they get a chance and thereby multiply your one good deed many times over.

One act of kindness every day will go a lot farther in making this world a better place than all the religious and political organizations promises and efforts combined. Jesus, Buddah, Mohamed, Gandi, Martin Luther King, Jr., Nelson Mandela and all the good guys knew the real power we possess is not military might or political power or even religious fervor but love in action.

Your friend and fellow traveler,
David White