Welcome To My World

In the light of all the bad news reported day after day, I will risk repeating myself to say, how gratifying it is to learn the statistics about something not too many people are interested in, much less being enthusiastic about. The number of volunteers who sacrifice their free time to work for others for nothing. In Spain alone there are 4 million of registered volunteers, 10 % of the total population. No doubt, with higher or lower percentage, in all other countries too.

Somebody, a writer, if my memory serves me right, once said: 'No good act remains unpunished.' Rather cynical but illustrates the less attractive part of human nature, unfortunately and undeniably exists, that many of us are reluctant to do so called thankless jobs, for no reward other than perhaps a pat on the shoulder for work well done, if that. Another writer whose name I do remember, Manuel Leguineche, wrote: 'If you are good and sweet as honey, mosquitos would eat you.' Another cynic!

News media, magazines, television will report on celebrities getting drunk, in a street brawl, showing a new hairdo, spent a dirty weekend with somebody married ... but they would not waste their time or the space on their page about these people, who go around in all weather and at all hours, to feed and shelter the hungry and homeless, to attend to the sick, the old and the needy, or simply holding someone's hand, comforting the desperate and the lonely. Such things don't interest the reporters nor the majority of the public.

I never realized there's such a great percentage of people so selfless, so altruistic and so dedicated to doing good for others not even remotely related to them, for complete strangers, for absolutely no material gain at all, and not even much recognition. Yet there they are, all ages and from all walks of life, attending to their work and family like all others, except when the others go home with a pay cheque, warmth and comfort of family life, they are out continuing their work, day after day. 

Some say it's an ugly world, with war, crime, famine, contamination and unhappiness. I would prefer to think of it as a beautiful world but with imperfections. All the ugliness are mainly made by men; and what men can do can be undone too, but only by men themselves.