Be Someone Else's Superman

If any person reads this and is offended by what I say, and you feel that I am attacking you personally in my rantings, this is my response, stop flattering yourself. For those who know me, they know I don't hold back, so if this hits on a personal note, I am glad. These are the qualities that I am going to strive for. (Because we all know I am an opinionated, self-righteous, screwball, that needs to practice more of what he reads.) Finally before I start, this is just a draft, I want ideas and insights, I want to really internalize these things that I am thinking, and feedback is greatly appreciated.

As I was reading the Ensign at work during June (yes I was slacking, but it was during my lunch) I was reading about the Mormon Helping Hands program. I was reading the comments made by Bishop Burton about service that the church has rendered all across the world and all the people who have been helped with the extending of service to those in need. With the recent flooding in Indiana, the branch I am in, cancelled services on Sunday so that we could go and offer relief and assistance to those that need some help. Now I will admit they weren't very well organized, but with time we found those people who needed our help.

Now to say that I was excited, that church was cancelled, is probably an understatement. Three hours is a long time for a simple minded person like me. I would rather church be an hour so I can slack off the rest of the day. Either way, I was excited to go both Saturday and Sunday and leave my worries of work, education, money, and all those things in Indianapolis. For two days I along with others from the branch had a blast wading around in "brown" water and carrying water soaked carpets among other things out to curbs for garbage pickup. Do you know how much crap a person can have in their home? I'm a pack rat, so if I was hit by a flood, I would be SCREWED!!! But enough about me and my bad habits, and more about being other people's Superman.

How long do you think it would take for Superman to empty a house full of items that have been ravaged by a flood? How long would it take for Superman to empty a basement full of Elvis memorabilia that still had at least a foot of water in it? (No electricity either, obviously) When I think of Superman he flies in and saves the day so that the tragedy never happens, but unfortunately he can't stop every one's tragedies, and bad things happen to good people. That is where you and I come in to play. I can tell you that a group of people, that I would contend is as powerful as Superman, was able to empty a home of everything including carpets, mop boards, appliances, and even cupboards, could do it in a matter of four hours. And more importantly than the Man of Steel, they were able to help the family hold it together as they watched their entire life's possessions hauled out to the trash. Despite a desire to save everything it wasn't possible, but compassion was shown as these people were built up to prepare for each day as they made their new lives after the flood. Superman can stop a tragedy, but the true superheroes are the ones who show compassion and love to a complete stranger following that tragedy.

Another group of superheroes that I saw went into a basement with a foot of water in it, and with just one flashlight started to empty a lifetime of collecting Elvis memorabilia. After seeing all that this lady had collected in her life, I must say, the King is dead. And so was one of the biggest collections of anything I have ever seen. Those modern real life superheroes that I saw, worked in a dark humid basement to haul out everything the older couple had collected. From CDs, tapes, LPs, magazines, Elvis memorabilia, washer, dryer, bottled foods, clothing, and even a chest style deep freeze full of food, and without power for a week, and did I mention full of "brown" water? This isn't something we see superheroes do very often, Superman's cape would have been ruined, (and some people's clothing was). I saw a group of people work as fast as they could to help this family; I would venture that nothing was salvageable, but if even a few things were, though not the food storage, it was worth it. In a world that is constantly in turmoil, constantly having famines, plagues, and natural disasters, it is nice to now that there is a group of people around the world willing to jump in to help those in need.

With that being said, here is where I might offend someone. When was the last time each of us offered service? When was the last time you stopped and helped someone on the side of the road, by letting them use your cell phone, or helped change their tire? When was the last time you remember church being cancelled for an opportunity to serve? Most importantly, of a YSA branch that has about 100 active members, why were there barely 30 people who showed up to help? I realize that there are things keeping us busy, work, school, dating, but I would contend we should have at least doubled the number who showed up. If you were going to church that Sunday, and the meeting was cancelled, why didn't you go and help? Please we all know that we don't do anything before church, and I was home by the time church would normally get out! I'm not trying to say that I am great for showing up to do service, but at least I'm attempting to practice what I read. Can each of us now practice what we preach?

Whether you be LDS, Catholic, or Non-denominational Christian, or profess any belief in a higher power, or just believe in the decency of humanity, if you read this blog or any others like it, GO OUT AND SERVE. Get off your butt and do something! I realize that there are those with children, but that is why there are two parents in family. One to tend the children and one to serve. Sometimes both need to tend the family, but they can make it possible for others to go and serve. Superman can't do everything, if he doesn't prevent the tragedy from happening to begin with, it is the job of each individual superhero in the world to go out and help others. Let us all go out with a better conviction to offer help to those around us. Whether it is helping flood victims, mowing a lawn, or offering a shoulder to cry on, or an ear to listen, it is each of our duties to serve our fellowmen, for if we don't, we are not superheroes, we are nothing more than an example of what is wrong with our society today.

Be smart, be safe, but most of all be who you really are. (Which is what I'm going to blog about again soon, the two people who live in each of us, lol.)

Just the Beginning

To any person who is unfortunate enough to read this, I must apologize now. Although I do not care if anyone reads this, this is going to be the playground for my ideas, as I prepare to write books 1-5. Yep, I am planning on writing five or more books in my life, but I need to begin somewhere, and more important, I need to bounce my ideas off some unexpecting souls.

With that being said, if you take offense to anything I write, let me know why what I wrote is offensive, though remember before you right, the guilty take the truth to be hard. Alright, that is a bad mock of a quote, but you get the general idea. Just wait for my first blog, that I am currently putting together, and you will understand. So buckle down, this is going to be interesting.