Content1's Cravings

Garden of Good and Evil

The Bible (and no I’m not going to become a thumper and preach – although I have a strong belief system) states that the root of all evil is the love of money (1 Timothy 6:10). It would seem with the current economic crisis, plunging stock markets, and layoffs that perhaps this is the truest of statements, and I won’t contend that. I have spent many worrisome nights lately contemplating my and my family’s fate should I lose my job, as many have done. I can’t even fathom being homeless with six kids….

However, I think that evil really has a much more personal side.

But first, let me digress. I am a Dark Temptation – tried and true. I am grateful that Izzy allowed me to contribute to this blog and gave me the opportunity to spread my wings. I like dark stories. I’ve written dark stories…and yes, many of the stories I’ve written or read contain truly evil characters. I have a twisted fascination with these characters for many reasons I won’t go into on a public forum. Suffice it to say, I work with these types of creatures every day. It is nice to have an outlet. I know that not everyone feels the same; however, I defend an author’s rights to write the stories they choose – that’s part of being American and YUP we have a first amendment that gives us the right to do so. I won’t digress into that conversation because our illustrious Izzy has done it much more eloquently than I could.

THIS IS NOT A RANT ABOUT DARK STORIES OR EVEN THE PEOPLE THAT DON’T LIKE THEM.

The evil I am talking about here isn’t the characters we read about or even the evil that they participate in…what I’m talking about here is the evil that resides in each of us and the things we do or do not do every day.

Edmund Burke said, “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” Why do we do nothing when we see the things that occur around us every day? Is it that we don’t think we should interfere? Is it that we don’t want to take the time to interfere? Or is it that we don’t know how to interfere? Since most of our stories originate from a tale about a vampire and his Love, why don’t I quote one of the Queens of Vampirism? Anne Rice said in Interview with a Vampire, “Evil is always possible. And goodness is eternally difficult.” How true.

It is hard to do what is right sometimes.

I think Charles Baudelaire, a French poet who helped translate many of Edgar Allen Poe’s works (yes – I should have known my leanings as a child, considering that man was one of my favs), put it wisely when he wrote, “Evil is done without effort, naturally, it is the working of fate; good is always the product of an art.”

I believe that true evil starts from our inability to act. Or as Hemingway put it, “all things truly wicked start from an innocence.” Sometimes the innocence is that we do nothing. Sometimes it is that we do the wrong thing. Or, as Sophocles wrote, “All concerns of man go wrong when they wish to cure evil with evil.”

SO…..

What is my point to all this you ask?

Without going into too much detail about my life, I will reveal that I work with large numbers of children and families. In the last two years, many of these individuals have been faced with a new reality – joblessness, homelessness, and need. Many of these individuals have never had the “Joy” of navigating the social services systems or even asking for help. It is difficult for me to see hungry and ashamed little faces every day. Yet, that is exactly what is happening and in alarming numbers.

Beauty of the Soul

This post is really about what I should call the Beauty of the Human Soul. I was sharing with my other Temptations something that recently happened that rejuvenated my belief in the inherent goodness of man…and Iz suggested I share as a post. Do something a little different…
SO…here goes.

Where I live and work has faced significant changes due to the economy. One in five houses is in foreclosure and one in five residents are in personal bankruptcy. This is a SIGNIFICANT change to what we’d faced for many years of being one of the fastest growing communities in America. Many individuals aimed high to get their kids in good communities and schools, but didn’t plan well for the future. I can’t imagine what it is like to be those adults, but I encounter the little faces of their decisions or ill fate every day.

Knowing the mounting need that we would be facing, I sent a call out to our small community begging for help early this spring. I was hoping to get a few backpacks full of supplies from churches and local business, to help offset the need as we saw it. I’ve personally witnessed what it was like for children to come to school with nothing. My hopes…just a few bags…just a few pencils and pens for kids to walk into their new classrooms this year.

To say I’ve become jaded with the lack of generosity of the human race is an understatement. In my evilness, quite honestly, I’d given up. I was sent a very clear message. I received a call that the community would like to do a back to school event this fall and allow us to send needy families. They rented a pavilion and indicated that they would have some fun activities. We were given advertisement for free and the pavilion ran a message on their marquee. My husband, my six kids, my homeless liaison, and I arrived on an absolutely blazing hot Saturday to an absolutely wonderful surprise. 2000 fully stocked backpacks, lunch for everyone who came, free haircuts, free ice creams, free bouncy rides, free water slides, and numerous other things that I couldn’t even begin to tell you about. Over 1600 backpacks were given away that day, and I was given the others to bring back and distribute as needed. In addition, the group gave us around $3500 to utilize as needed for kids. Ten hours later, I arrived home, dirty, tired, cranky, but absolutely rejuvenated in the human spirit.

That was just the beginning of what the community has done. Once aware of the needs, the agencies have arranged a donation of free food for over 500 families, and multiple other donations to cover school related expenses. They are beginning the drive for Christmas and although I know that they may or may not have the means to do it all…

…what a wonderful, unexpected, testament to the human spirit.

As I watched that day as child after child accepted a backpack and THANKED the individuals giving them, I was reminded of a little known book, film, and resulting phenomenon Pay It Forward. What wonderful things these little minds may do…all because someone cared.

For once, real evil didn’t win.

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So here is my Pay It Forward. To Izzy, Steph, Gemma, Kitten, Chipper – I luff you! Thanks for being my support and encouraging me. – and letting me post late because I’ve been CRAZY! Iz thanks for covering me on Tuesday when I just couldn’t get my SHIT together. I am forever in your debt and will promise you the sky (keep your mind out of the gutter – or at least make it REALLY REALLY fun).

To anyone one else who may read this…let me know what you’ve seen lately that convinced you not all is lost.

“The small man thinks that small acts of goodness are of no benefit, and does not do them; and that small deeds of evil do no harm, and does not refrain from them. Hence, his wickedness becomes so great that it cannot be concealed, and his guilt so great that it cannot be pardoned.”

CONFUCIUS