Hunting for heroes

Dennie Quill, Contributor

WHAT IS it in the DNA of some individuals that cause them to reach beyond themselves and do spectacular things? Thoughts of ordinary people doing extraordinary things have been swirling in my head ever since watching CNN Heroes on Sunday night. Even though the names and causes were different, these people from rich and poor countries and various backgrounds, managed to perform extraordinary humanitarian acts. From an Indian chef to a Scottish salmon farmer, these people have showed generosity of spirit, in some cases literally wrapping their arms around strangers in need. I was deeply inspired by their stories. And one cannot help asking the personal question: What have I done with my life? Oh, we all say we should do this thing and that thing, but unfortunately most of those things never really get done. Sometimes we give a little to charity, but is it really enough to help mend the broken lives around us? Where do really big ideas come from? What motivated these people to set out on their own to right wrongs and effect change.

What comes to mind is the comedy/drama Bucket List in which two terminally ill men in the persons of Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicolson escaped from a cancer ward and compiled a list of things they really wanted to do before they inevitably kick the bucket. It's the best time of the year to start that bucket list and we need not wait until we are ill. We may not be able to feed 400,000 children a day like Magnus McFarlane-Barrow, fight sexual exploitation and trafficking with the ferocity of Anuradha Koirala in Nepal, or build solar reading lamps for thousands of school children, like Evans Wadongo did in Kenya, but we can encourage individual initiative and neighbourly responses.

Because of failures in the delivery of social care, especially in Third World countries, millions of people go hungry and are denied the basic necessities of life. Increasingly we see more beggars on our streets, and there are many others in dire need but perhaps are too proud to be on the streets. Things have changed dramatically in the parent/child relationship. Parents who poured everything they had into their children with the expectation that in their twilight years the children (their old age pension) would be willing and able to take care of them are now disappointed. Some children can barely eke out an existence for themselves. Many senior citizens now have to fend for themselves. It means the demand on the State gets heavier.

In our country, several charities and service clubs have mobilised volunteers who labour mightily to help thousands of people in need. Their focus varies from social justice to the environment and health care matters, as well as mentoring the youth. We salute all our volunteers for their acts of kindness, generosity and old-fashioned goodness. Their passion for service benefits us all and truly deserves praise for their compassionate contribution to our society. We salute them for being the heroes we cannot be.

During this season of goodwill is the best time of the year to start investing a bit of ourselves in the homeless children and destitute adults who are our neighbours. Now is the opportune time to promote the better instincts of mankind.

Email feedback to denniequill@hotmail.com or columns@gleanerjm.com