Musing

today’s Musing written and published from south Calgary, near Fish Creek Park

-14C/6F, snow overnight, Gusta spins her studded paws through it (she is clearly done her bloated lethargic cycle), rabbit tracks and school buses stir it up, traffic will be slow

another day’s headline reminds how well off we are, a bulging treasury of riches beyond imagination, yet we live where the poverty lives

many without much at all; cold weather, just begun, community resources to help those without stretched; I don’t think it’s the resources that are being tested as much as our ‘willingness to part with them’ - bureaucrats and politicians at City Hall work for a community that collectively says it wants to help, but really doesn’t

how can they determine to invest money in a meal or a blanket when an arena is to be built, provide shelter when a freeway needs another lane?

we care, so we say, but we don’t let it touch us – we have people for that, agencies, departments, NGOs and so much more – that’s there job and, oh, isn’t it sad they are so under-funded and under-staffed; well, we know its hard to get good people these days - when did that happen, when did it become OK, become fashionable to outsource caring?

needs of those less fortunate through poverty, unemployment or dire circumstances give us a collective sigh ‘for those poor folks’; but, no need to do anything, we expect leaders and government to help, that’s there job, to do on our behalf, to care on our behalf – but, they are having a problem because its hard to get good people these days

I look around my community, in lanes of traffic, in check-out lines, teeming hordes in the lunch-time crush or the march to a Flames game – we would all answer yes if asked whether we are good people – sadly, many things that need doing would get done if we could find a few good people, but hey, its hard to get good people these days

what message do we send if we want the prosperity without the responsibility of doing the tough work in the ill-lit corners - mostly, we let someone else do it; at a time of year when many of us make donations (please don’t stop), we go to the mall – drop a loonie or two in some kettle while we shop for the perfect gift for someone we care about – its hard work, stores are strapped, its hard to get good people these days

we live where homeless people live, we live where people in great need grasp for help except for those too weak to grasp - in this city of a million individual citizens, very few personally lend a hand or put shoulder to a wheel to help – we are insulated from caring by charities, social agencies, three levels of government – they do our caring for us, and we know they struggle, because its hard to get good people these days

Mark Kolke
340,308
197.0

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