In my last post, I mentioned how I read Amy Poehler’s book, Yes Please. I wrote in my journal about a few topics she spoke about in her book, and when I heard the song Humble & Kind by Tim McGraw (title quote cred.), I felt I should write on that topic.
Poehler was writing about criticisms she’s read about herself. She stated that someone said she “has a scary face.” That particular line got under my skin. Yes, there is freedom of speech. Yes, everyone has an opinion about each and every thing no matter how big or small. And I know that technology, the internet and social media has made it so much easier for people’s private opinions to go public. But can’t we think about other’s feelings just for a moment before we hit ‘Post’? What happened to that old saying “if you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all”? Is it really our mainstream culture now to make fun of others for laughs, or likes, or follows, or hits?
Not too long ago, rapper 50 Cent was in the news for recording a video of a young man janitor in an airport. 50 Cent assumed the man was on drugs and made some comments during the video. He posted the video online. As it turns out, the young man was autistic, and now the parents are suing 50 Cent. I’m sure there will be people on both sides of the coin that either think what 50 Cent did was wrong, or that the parents are wrong for suing him. But to think that if 50 Cent just took a moment and thought ‘maybe I don’t know this man’s story…maybe this is an unkind thing to do/say’… then maybe he wouldn’t have a lawsuit against him. And we wouldn’t have to debate about whether the parents suing him was right or wrong. The whole thing in itself is just not cool.
When did it become perceived as cool to belittle others? There is so much pain and suffering in the world as it is – why add to it with comments and critical words that bring others down? It breaks my heart.
Speaking of heartbreak, Poehler also wrote about her time visiting Haiti through the Worldwide Orphans Foundation. According to Poehler, there over 700 orphanages in Haiti with well over 430,000 orphans. A few of her quotes that struck me were:
“It felt like many of the children I saw were lost and there was no one looking for them.”
“Most of these kids were used to living in the moment. Thinking about the future was a luxury.”
“Babies living in cribs that looked like cages.”
And one very vivid picture she painted of a boy as they were leaving. He had become attached to one of the volunteers in Poehler’s group. When they pulled him away so they could leave, he went and stood facing a corner and cried. She said it was “the loneliest thing” she had ever seen.
I can’t even encapsulate all of the feelings in that chapter. She spoke about the love and tenderness these kids need; how many different people in different situations live under the same moon; how luck is all relative (I’m lucky to only work 4 days a week; they’re lucky to have access to water today); how much work there is to be done there; how some people are awful, and some people are kind and loving; and how a little love and kindness goes a long way.
After reading about her trip, I felt the urge to do the same. Pack up for a certain amount of time and go help these children. But also, I feel that it wouldn’t (couldn’t?) just be for a few weeks or months. That image of the boy standing in the corner crying because someone he had grown attached to was now leaving, and he didn’t have anyone else…that kills me. I don’t think I would have the heart to leave…or to leave them behind. I would just want to take them all home with me.
The more I read, the more things I find myself wanting to do – and the more rugged they are becoming. I read Wild by Cheryl Strayed and felt the urge to take a few months and hike the Pacific Crest Trail. I read On the Road by Jack Kerouac and have since planned to uproot my life next year and travel across the country. And now this Yes Please book by Amy Poehler, which I really only got because I thought it would make me laugh and jumpstart my reading engine (and it did), has given me the urge to go to a third world country to help impoverished children.
I wonder what other adventures this life has in store for me…
Raising LeBar 