One of them, at least.
Update: We’ve added an excellent line from Peggy Noonan’s December 26th, weekly column, as it fits so perfectly with our theme.
We spent a recent noon-time distributing year-end, holiday, bonus checks to a group of care-givers and their managers.
It was very gratifying, especially since it wasn’t our money. We’re joking, of course. It would likely have been more gratifying had been our money, but while the lunch was for a small organization, it’s not that small.
Now, we know that it is quite easy to go through life ignoring not only people in need but also those who help them on both a volunteer and paid basis. (It’s worth noting that those who do get paid usually don’t get paid much for their efforts.) There are a lot of caring people serving a variety of constituents, e.g., in fields like mental retardation, mental health, the aged, etc.
Those folks spend substantial time and energy helping others, including the less fortunate, to lead more fulfilling lives. For example, we know good people who have devoted their entire working careerss to providing such aid, and that often requires fighting against an uncaring and soulless government bureaucracy (in their attempts to do the right thing.) For another example, we know of others who call their workplaces on their days off to check on their favorite clients. All of these people, for at least some portion of their daily lives, try to do the right things for others. (Yeah, sometimes it seems weird to us, too.)
In her weekly column, A Year for Books, Peggy Noonan mentions “Mother Teresa’s Secret Fire” by Father Joseph Langford, a friend of Mother Teresa’s. Ms. Noonan writes: “…and of the things he learned from her including, most centrally, this: You must find your own Calcutta. You don’t have to go to India. Calcutta is all around you.”
In that regard, if the reader has access to Touchstone Magazine, we encourage them to read the Anthony Esolen’s excellent essay, “Potterville Nation,” in the December issue. Unfortunately, it is not available on line.
In the essay, Mr. Esolen writes about the classic movie, It’s a Wonderful Life. His point is that it was not necessary for George Bailey to have never been born for Bedford Falls turn into Potterville. (In the movie it is called Pottersville with an “s.”)
Even if George had been born, there were any number of steps along the way when he could have veered slightly (almost imperceptibly) away from his conscience and duty, and that would have been to the severe detriment of other individuals, his community, and society. Many of those small turns would have seemed innocuous or would have been unobserved by others. It’s quite possible that no one, including George, would have known the damage he caused or did not prevent as he chased his dream. (Per St. Francis de Sales, that doesn’t mean that one should over-analyze or over-account for ones every actions and decisions. We’ll try to provide a link in the near future.)
Mr. Esolen notes that nowadays much of society looks more like Potterville than Bedford Falls, and he attributes that phenomenon to folks (selfishly) following their dreams to the exclusion of others. (Perhaps, like Utopia, Bedford Falls never existed. In fact, Mr. Esolen mentions that self-recognition and feelings of guilt may have been the reason why the movie was unsuccessful during its initial release in 1946.)
Now, one reason we particularly like his essay is that it fits quite nicely with a recent conversation we had with one of the princesses. We were told “When I’m an adult, I’ll do what I want.” Our reply was, “Hmmm, we don’t see any real adults acting that way. In fact, it seems to us that ‘I’ll do whatever I want’ is the antithesis of adulthood, civilization, morality, ethics, and reason. The impulsive ‘I’ll do whatever I want’ certainly makes one no better than animals and not very close to angels.” (Obviously and clearly, we’re not talking about those who are old enough to be adults, but who choose not to be, but that’s a post for another day.)
We told her that being an adult involves doing what others need you to do. In that sense, adulthood isn’t liberating, but as George Bailey discovered, it can be very fulfilling. (Liberation involves living a country where the government permits citizens to be adults, but that, too, is post for another day.)
We’ve wondered how many times we’ll have to repeat that message in the coming years, and at Christmas Eve Mass, we prayed for the strength to be able to do so as often as it is needed to be heard.
We’re also quite thankful that her mother, the chairman, sets such an excellent example of adult behavior and responsibility (and compensates for our many failings and immaturity).
Unlike the folks that we referenced above, we doubt that we do our fair share, but we pray for those who do. We wish them and you a Blessed and Merry Christmas and a Healthy and Happy New Year.
