Courtesy must be our guide on the roadways Opportunities to help
HELLO MI neighbour! There is a time and place for everything! Those four motor cars which maliciously obstructed the truck trying to negotiate a corner in Kingston 5 recently, could have caused a fatal accident. That’s unneighbourly! And you know yourselves. Never ever let it happen again. That was not the time and place to prove who was right from who was wrong. Common sense and courtesy must be our guide on the roadways.
Many road fatalities are directly connected to motorists’ decisions to defend their right-of-way. But what does common sense dictate? Give away your rights if it will help to save a life. The road code may give you the right, but let’s remember that there is a moral code by which we must abide for the greater good.
Our responsibility to the human race demands that our actions advance the well-being of others, 24/7. This means, in part, that we always endeavour to display the level of kindness and respect that we desire from others. It also means that instead of adding to their burden, we find ways to help lighten them. And how is this possible? Imagine yourself in their place. Maybe a little difficult for those with poor imagination, but practice can make it simple and even enjoyable. Nuh true, Sister Grace?
COST-FREE HAPPINESS
Many times, to enjoy life without spending a dime is to make others happy. What does it cost to give a lonely person a smile, or a sick soul a prayer? How much does one pay to WhatsApp an encouraging message to a discouraged neighbour? And as the list of cost-free opportunities to brighten a neighbour’s life grows, so does the resultant happiness. Rich or poor, therefore, we can be happy and make others happy. Here, then, the notion that poor people have a legitimate reason to be mostly unhappy is debunked.
There is a word of caution to people who ‘run after money’ in search of happiness. The adage “money can’t buy happiness” is true, as shown by many studies. Researchers at a California university, for instance, once found that people isolated themselves and became progressively meaner as their wealth grew. At this point, they began talking down to their peers as they assumed more dominant positions. Naturally, this attitude would bound to have a negative effect on their relationship and the added result of dampening their overall happiness. There should be neither time and nor place for this.
Would you allow the following excerpt to influence your decisions today? “I spent my entire life in the pursuit of financial aptitude; it was obtained by means of an ambitious attitude ... I can’t find peace though I have tremendous leverage.
“My life is complete meanwhile inside I feel empty ...
“I own everything one can possibly imagine – I have seen places that remained a dream to most citizens.
Many individuals yearn to attain my rank in society but they see the painting, not the canvas of my personality.
I often ask myself: what good does it for me to have everything, yet ... nothing.”
– Z. Webb
Thanks to neighbours
1. Rema, St Andrew, for contribution.
2. Annmarie, St Andrew, for food items.
3. Desrene, St Andrew, for clothing and books for back to school.
4. Karlene, St Andrew, for contribution.
5. Andrea, St Andrew, for utensils and other items.
6. Gary, St Andrew, for offering men’s clothing and a settee.
1. Neighbour, St Catherine – asking for a double-bed mattress.
2. Alecia, St Catherine – has no running water, asking for a tank.
3. Neighbour – asking for a stove and second-hand crib.
4. Mary, Kingston – senior citizen asking for a refrigerator and a secondhand settee.
5. Jennel, St Ann – unemployed single mother of four, needs a bed.
6. Novelette, Clarendon – unable to walk, asking for a wheelchair.
7. Maureen – mentally challenged, asking for a stove. To help, please call Silton Townsend at 334-8165, 884-3866, or deposit to acct # 351 044 276 NCB or send donations to HELLO NEIGHBOUR C/o 53 Half-Way Tree Road, Kingston 10; Paypal/credit card: email: zicron22@yahoo.com. Or contact email: helloneighbour@yahoo.com. Mr Townsend exclusively manages the collections and distributions mentioned in this column and is neither an employee nor agent of The Gleaner.