To Have or To Have Not!

To Have or To Have Not!

©Allen Merritt 2017

It’s that time of year, isn’t it?

The spirit of the holidays is fast upon us and everyone is doing their best to encourage good cheer. At least, I think they are. I hope so. We certainly do not need any more Scrooge’s grumbling at the world.

The holidays have changed over the years with consumer growth and a push to collect contributions to every charity imaginable. Long commercial campaigns are seeking donations. One truth is apparent, there is incredible need out there and it’s growing. We do not have to go far to experience it or approach it. It’s on our doorsteps or close by to home. Many people continue to live paycheck to paycheck. Some simply live without.

While in Los Angeles last week I noticed something slightly different about the homeless epidemic. It is not only spreading out and growing, but seems to be wider in girth, so to speak. What I mean to say is that those who are living under such conditions are staking out more space individually on the sidewalks. Larger walls of sheets tied up to mark more territory are clearly evident.

Tents are popping up in areas they didn’t used to be. For example, on Sunset and Vine in a parking lot across from the Palladium I observed several homeless encampments right in the thick of the hustle and bustle. The situation is speaking for itself.

More and more people are living on the streets. And, baby its cold outside!

Today as I ran errands I caught a glimpse of a man in shorts wearing a sandal on one foot and a tennis shoe on the other. Do you suppose he is making the most of what he has? Another man was pushing a grocery cart serving as his storage facility while simultaneously walking his companion dog. Do you suppose he is grasping any sense of normalcy? After a while some of these faces become familiar.

Each day that goes by we live our life and experience it as only we know it and comprehend it. It’s a personal thing. Accordingly, it is an experience which resides within the realm of the relevant. Meaning, we understand things to the extent for which it is relevant to us.

Maybe our positive outlook ought to be defined more on our attitude for what we do have and not so much on what we don’t have. There is something to be said for that considering so many truly don’t have near as much as others.

Individually, we may not be able to solve the many problems in the world, but we can help not make it worse and try to offer a way to improve it. Helping ourselves and helping others can make us all feel better and more positive. We can contribute to improving life overall.

Let’s be mindful about the haves and the have nots.

Let’s be thoughtful that it isn’t all about me, me, and me!

Let’s think about giving back rather than gimme, gimme, gimme or mine, mine, mine!

As we journey through another holiday season, may all of us be reminded how lucky we are to have what we have and allow that revelation to positively inspire our attitudes from day to day.

Truth be told, there will always be something we feel we need. If we dwell on those things, we will never be happy, satisfied or feel complete or content.

Keeping this in mind, have a great week living life on a positive note.

Reach out and help others find their way and in that find a little of your own way. At the very least, let's do the best we can according to our individual means and capabilities. 

Cheers!