Heroes of the Recession

“A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself.” –Joseph Campbell

I’m sure that many of you saw the commercial by Allstate Insurance spokesperson Dennis Haysbert, asking the question, “Will we remember this as the Great Recession or will we remember it as the recession that made us great?” Let’s face it, things have not been easy, but as we witnessed how many people overcame the Great Depression that began in 1929 and lasted until about 1939, we too can learn from and rise above the financial carnage of this recession, and begin rebuilding our lives once again.

Incredibly, we continue to witness the growth in the amount of ordinary people unselfishly reaching out to those who are suffering, by helping out, instead of handing out. I ran across this article, “Heroes of the Recession”  (http://www.beliefnet.com/Inspiration/2010/01/Heroes-of-the-Recession.aspx) and wanted to share it with you. It’s the boldness of these individuals deciding to be contributors, instead of spectators, that make them heroes in their communities. This is the thing that will make our communities resilient and stronger.

I am reminded about an email I received a while ago where it had two pictures of people sitting around a table holding very long-handled spoons, with food placed before them. The people seated at one table were frail and looked unhealthy. The people seated at the other table were strong and looked healthy. The spoons that both groups had were about five times longer than the normal length of an eating utensil. Here’s the difference between these two sets of diners:

The frail group were struggling trying to feed themselves, but could not get the food to their mouths with the long-handled spoons. The strong group were comfortably feeding “each other” with the same long-handled spoons. See the difference? The stronger group were not self-absorbed and worked united, instead of divided.

Let’s continue to remember those who just may need a kind word to stay strong. Let’s continue to fight the perils of hopelessness just because this economy has not recoved from years of financial decline. And even when the economy recovers, let’s continue to build on those statutes that helped us to survive together and not perish solitarily.

Peace & Blessings Always!