Spare Change

I think that today I shouldn’t write a blog. It can be argued by some that I shouldn’t write a blog ever again and if possible, make that retroactive. That does have merit of course, but I still kind of enjoy writing some nights.

Sometimes I have an idea of what I will write from earlier in the day. When it comes to the actual writing I more often than not veer off topic and end up in some totally different place. I will open Word and stare at a blank screen until an idea comes to me. Not necessarily a good idea, but an idea just the same. Every now and then I will ask Louise to suggest a topic and although I rarely do what she suggests, it spurs me on to come up with an alternative. The odd time, I just decide that I shouldn’t write at all. That is by far the best thing for me, for the readers of the blog (you three know who you are) and for the world in general.

There is no reason I should inflict my negative emotions on those poor unsuspecting readers who more than likely have problems of their own. I have read of people having dark moods or blue periods and they seem to pass. So it will be for me.

I suspect that anyone who really stops and takes a look at our world will get dark more than a few times. It is not a great world all of the time for all of the people. It could be, but we have chosen to base the world on commercialism and the accumulation of goods. That is fine for the ones who are good at accumulating, but for those who aren’t. Life can be pretty bleak sometimes.

There was a guy outside of the local shopping centre asking for spare change today. My initial response is “No!” I am a suspicious person by nature and when someone is asking for money I just assume it is for smokes or drink. For all I know, this guy could have been trying to get enough money to buy milk and bread for his kids. There is no real reason for me to assume the worst other than maybe I am just negative. I have never been in a situation like that and God willing, I never will be.

My wife and kids are generous people. They would all give and not make any kind of judgement other than this guy needs some money. Perhaps if I had the time to observe the guy from afar I would be able to make a decision based on what I saw. Perhaps not.

I am not now and have never been an overly generous human being. Perhaps because in my mind I just don’t have enough. Don’t ask me what enough is, because I really couldn’t tell you. Maybe enough for me would be when I give spare change to someone that asks for it, no questions asked, no judgements made.