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Nov. 21st, 2010 02:48 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
cblj_backupSunday is usually the day I research and code Radio Free Monday, ever since it got too big for its Monday Morning Britches. It's become something of a self-fulfilling action; I suspect that because of Radio Free Monday I get more requests for my help than I normally would. Which is totally okay, that's not a complaint, I'm just sayin' -- the internet's a funny place.
These days I often find that after coding RFM I'm distraught. It's the same reason I don't watch the evening news; I just end up a terrible mixture of furious and sad. And that's okay too; it's a small price to pay to share this information with you. Though I frankly wouldn't blame you if you scrolled past it on Mondays you're not feeling your best.
I do adhere to what I put in Sparks's mouth in Charitable Getting: you might want to love something terrible, but if you're working to fix what's wrong, you're allowed to love it. I think the problem for me is that some of this stuff just seems so unfuckingfixable. The occasional cruelty and stupidity of humanity outweighs the common essential goodness of it, for a few hours. (Then I have dinner and I'm usually fine.)
Society often says we're not supposed to be proud of our charitable work and the things we do out of kindness, we're not supposed to make them public, because then we're doing them for pride and not because we want to help. I don't buy that and I never have; I think Francis of Assisi had it more correct when he said "The deeds you do today may be the only sermon some will hear". I don't honestly care why you do nice things as long as you do them, and if other people see you do them, then maybe they'll start doing them too.
All of which is to say that if you read RFM tomorrow and you give some money or comment with support or even just go and look, come back to the post and let me know. You can do it under your own name or anonymously, and I promise not to ask for it every week, but this week it would be really nice to see that it actually does matter, what we do.
People frequently get into charitable work and burn out quickly, because there's so much to do and the results are so slow to arrive. I am determined not to be one of them.
PS to everyone who told me about Snickers bars with almonds: I had one this afternoon and it totally cheered me up, you guys are awesome.
These days I often find that after coding RFM I'm distraught. It's the same reason I don't watch the evening news; I just end up a terrible mixture of furious and sad. And that's okay too; it's a small price to pay to share this information with you. Though I frankly wouldn't blame you if you scrolled past it on Mondays you're not feeling your best.
I do adhere to what I put in Sparks's mouth in Charitable Getting: you might want to love something terrible, but if you're working to fix what's wrong, you're allowed to love it. I think the problem for me is that some of this stuff just seems so unfuckingfixable. The occasional cruelty and stupidity of humanity outweighs the common essential goodness of it, for a few hours. (Then I have dinner and I'm usually fine.)
Society often says we're not supposed to be proud of our charitable work and the things we do out of kindness, we're not supposed to make them public, because then we're doing them for pride and not because we want to help. I don't buy that and I never have; I think Francis of Assisi had it more correct when he said "The deeds you do today may be the only sermon some will hear". I don't honestly care why you do nice things as long as you do them, and if other people see you do them, then maybe they'll start doing them too.
All of which is to say that if you read RFM tomorrow and you give some money or comment with support or even just go and look, come back to the post and let me know. You can do it under your own name or anonymously, and I promise not to ask for it every week, but this week it would be really nice to see that it actually does matter, what we do.
People frequently get into charitable work and burn out quickly, because there's so much to do and the results are so slow to arrive. I am determined not to be one of them.
PS to everyone who told me about Snickers bars with almonds: I had one this afternoon and it totally cheered me up, you guys are awesome.
