My Brother's Keeper

I read a news story out of Texas about an arrest warrant issued for a 75 yr old woman because the lawn on some property she owned was too long. Supposedly the warrant was for her failure to appear in court over the matter, but my question is, why in the heck did she need to appear in court over her yard in the first place?

Because the town has "standards"? Because some jackass neighbor complained? Because someone on the town council had nothing better to do? GIVE ME A FLIPPIN' BREAK!!! WHATEVER HAPPENED TO KINDNESS?

As it turns out, there are still good people in the world!!! In this case, four young brothers saw the story and decided to do something about it! They brought lawnmowers and began the work on the lawn. When some of the neighboring folk realized what was going on, they joined in! My question is, where were these neighbors when the 75 yr old woman needed them in the first place?

Do you look at a neighboring yard and think, "They really need to spruce up their property. Our land values are going to go down!" or do you see something unkempt and wonder what the problem is? Did no one think to dig for a little more information on the woman and her property?

That, my friends, is the heart of everything that is wrong in the world! We are so busy with our own lives and our own problems we don't stop and think someone else might also have unmet needs!!! Our hearts are constantly pointing out things that are amiss in our world, and yet we do nothing to follow up on those little awarenesses until someone is in trouble!!! Even then  we don't always do anything to help!!!

I was a single mom for over ten years, and I know what a struggle it can be to get everything done when you're trying to raise kids, work a job and pay the bills. My sons were a huge help when they were old enough to do things like mow the yard. They even helped mow my next door neighbor's yard (another single mom)!!! At present, my husband also mows the yard across the street that belongs to another single and disabled mom!!!

Get to know your neighbors!!! You might just find out the yard that hasn't gotten mowed belongs to a man who has been taking care of his father after a stroke! You may find your neighbor has been out of work for six months and has no money for necessary repairs! Stop blaming and start neighboring!!! We can accomplish a lot of good in the world when we listen to the needs that are out there and take an active role in seeing those needs met!!!

I don't care what anyone says. I am my brother's keeper!!! AND SO ARE YOU!!!
(End of rant!!!)

~CSE

The Power To Change The World!!!

Years ago, my sister and brother-in-law had a dream. They wanted to share their love and enjoyment of wine with other people, so they opened a wine shop in the little Georgia town they lived in. It was actually a great place to do something like that. There is industry in the area and it is situated between Atlanta and Chattanooga that allowed traffic from both hubs.

The wine shop did really well. They had a really loyal clientele, and they were even able to convert a good many staunch beer drinkers through their fun and informative wine tastings and classes. It was the sort of place where you could walk in the door as a stranger and leave feeling like you were a friend. I always likened it to the Cheers bar on the infamous tv show--a place where everybody knows your name.

With the success of the wine shop, my sister and brother-in-law decided to expand on their dream and open a gourmet restaurant in conjunction with it. They bought some adjoining land and built a small but elegant restaurant which included a courtyard where people could eat outside during nice weather. The restaurant opened just as the housing bubble crisis hit the US in September of 2008.

Needless to say, times quickly became rough. I believe they might have weathered the storm if it had just been the wine shop, but with the extra investment and expense that came with the restaurant they struggled. Dining in fine restaurants becomes an extravagant luxury when people are losing their jobs. In the end, they could find no more money from banks. They had friends with money that wanted to pool it together to keep the business afloat, but unfortunately the laws here in Georgia are such that investing like that is illegal. The death of a dream is always painful.

Why do I write about this now? I feel it is important for people to know the world we live in really is against the little guy (and we're pretty much all little guys). It is not designed to help the average Joe. It is designed to empower and enrich those who already have too much power and money.

Small businesses here in the United States fail at a rate of 8 out of every 10. Is it because they don't have a good product or service? I don't believe it is in most cases. I believe it is because the deck is stacked against them. It can be extremely hard to compete with the big boys. Businesses like Walmart, with their billions in tax breaks and subsidies (aka corporate welfare), come in and sell their wares at sub-competitive prices, driving out simple folks just trying to make a living. Then there are the problems with laws. What we don't see when these laws get passed is that they are designed to make it difficult for little people to do things like pool their money together and invest in businesses. After all, the banks and venture capitalists couldn't make their money if the little people were allowed to do this legally, right?

Deep in your heart, you understand it is a tough world. Many of you feel trapped. There is good reason. The powers that be have constructed it that way so they continue to hold the power.

The simple truth is, we have the power to change our circumstances!!! All it takes is for us to stand up and take responsibility for ourselves!!! When we find laws and practices that make it difficult for the little guy to get ahead, we need to change them!!! We need to stop supporting businesses like Walmart and buy things from the little guy down the street!!! We even need to be willing to step up ourselves and make our own voices and ideas heard through becoming involved in the political process!!!

The power to change the world lies in each one of us stepping up and taking control of our own power and our own lives! We cannot do it alone, as individuals, but there is massive strength in numbers!!! Face it, there are billions of us worldwide!!! It is only through joining together as One that we can make a difference!!! Stand up and shine!!!

~CSE