Do Gooders

Have you ever rooted for the bad guy on television or in the movies? Have you ever read a story and hoped to find out that the evil criminal, enemy, or spy in the plot will win and somehow come out ahead without punishment? Have you ever read a newspaper and praised the person who abuses an animal, a child, or a spouse and thought “Good job?” If you ever have felt lie cheering for the villain, you may need to reevaluate your life.

In this time of concern for the illness called the corona virus, I see posts from people who have stripped shelves bare from many of the most essential products needed for safety and life. I know in our past we haven’t had toilet paper, disposable diapers, baby formula, and have managed to get along quite well. But in a generation where these things are everyday items on which they rely, it is almost criminal to remove them and to cause a panic, which in turn created more frenzied buying and hoarding of other products. Just take a chill pill. Sit back and relax. The less we rush into fearful patterns, the sooner thing will return to normal. The media feeds this pandemonium by sharing the most lurid details. Instead of reporting the facts, they seem to exaggerate situations for ratings.

What almost always becomes shoved aside is the people who stand firm in the midst of a crisis; the people who see their neighbors in a difficult situation and give assistance. Have we taken the time to check on the elderly people in their communities who are often forgotten by the world? Are we grateful people who thank the veteran or those still in the military and help to keep our nation great and free?

I hear of small stories that make a large impact. I read a story of a sickly mom with several small children who had to sit the children down and explain why they couldn’t find some items they needed. She didn’t explain the greed of others, but how God would provide for them. She said one of her kids was a worrier and was still concerned.

The next day I saw a post from the same mom thanking an anonymous “angel” that left a bag of food and toilet paper on their front porch. Examples of do gooders do exist, we just need to keep our eyes open and maybe if we keep our hearts open, we can become do gooders too.