The World We Barely Know

Too many are quick to judge.  Too many just have no idea what it is like to live in a world that I saw today.  This isn't the first time I've seen this and I doubt it will be my last.  I'm not even sure I could fully grasp what these people go through on a daily basis.

To these people who live there, it is a way of life.  I doubt they fully grasp what it is like to not live in the world they do.  I mean, do they really know what it is to live outside of what they are accustomed to in life?  Its easy for others to see the side they don't see and understand what they may not get to experience.

I grew up in a family that often had very little.  Yes, we always had a roof over our head, but sometimes that roof was not heated well.  I remember being very cold and using a space heater to get the bathroom warm enough on Saturday nights to take a bath.  I remember going to bed hungry or having some popcorn to eat as supper.  I remember not having new clothes except for something special bought at Christmas.


We didn't go out to eat.  A McDonald's burger was a treat of a lifetime.  In fact, I remember going to Pizza Hut with a church outing once in a blue moon, but outside of that, I'm not sure I ever ate in a formal restaurant until I was almost out of college.  Every dollar spent in our family was maximized in every way possible.

Even with my experiences in life, I'm still not sure I fully understand what neighborhoods like I was in today, actually go through.  I remember some of the places I've been in the past few years on the job I work on and there are many scenes imprinted deeply in my mind.  I cannot erase them from my mind.  They are stuck in there forever because they were so dramatic and mind boggling.

I see posts on Facebook and social media sites as well as in the news or political realms, and I am generally at a loss for words.  These people who write and talk about poor people as if they are living as kings, don't have a clue of the ignorance they spew to the world.  I doubt most of them have ever seen some of what I have seen or even tried to help.  Giving some coins to a person begging at a street corner is not really helping in my view.

Before we point the fingers and get upset sharing and liking Facebook posts, let us walk a mile in their shoes.  When  you have done that, please feel free to write about your experiences.  I have a feeling the shared and liked Facebook posts will no longer be relevant to you.

If you're not able to have compassion for those that struggle to make it through every moment of the day, maybe it would be best if you don't spew your ignorance to the world.  Try finding a way to help people less fortunate.  Try finding a way to see just how well you have it and honor that within your own life, but don't look down upon others that are not at the same point.

The world we barely know is exactly the world we need to learn about and discover.  It is the world that needs our attention, our compassion and our love.  I have no problem with people earning financial income, but when we do it while breaking down the backs of others less fortunate, then this is when we have become less than human in this world.

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Blog Post And Images (c) 8/12/15 by Don Shetterly

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