Helping

I now think one of the greatest gifts that one can be bestowed with is to be in a position to be able to help others. Not everyone gets this gift but unfortunately not everyone who is given this gift uses this gift wisely.

You have to be blessed with some wealth in order to be able to help out others in financial need. Over the years, through my years doing community work, I have seen so many wonderful people contributing generously to help the poor, the sick, the elderly and students from disadvaged families. Even some of those who are not that well endowed financially, give whatever they can to help out. If they cannot help financially, they give their time to do good work, like keeping elderly people company, bringing them around, distributing food to the needy or cleaning their homes for them. On Thursday evening at our Club 100 dinner, I met a friend who is a contractor. He gave a large sum of money in cash to help the needy but in his capacity as a contractor, he has done many renovation and upgrading works for free for elderly homes. And he asked me to let him know if any such home needed help.

Sometimes we are blessed with talents that can help others. Doctors and lawyers in particular are blessed by virtue of their education and training to be able to help. People will always need medical help. I do know of some doctors who spend time during the weekends doing community work, such as free eye checks for the elderly and answering their questions on health. But I don’t know how many of the wealthy doctors in private practice find the time to help the needy with the skills and training they have been bestowed with.

Lawyers are another such profession. People often need legal advice. Either with a criminal matter or in a civil matter and sometimes all they need is to have someone show them the way. Legal advise can be expensive and many cannot afford such advise. But at least when someone approaches you for help, one should hear them out and give them the best help you can and show them what they need to do without always thinking of everyone as a means to make money. When a lawyer or doctor refuses to offer any help unless he is paid then I think you have completely wasted the gift that was given to you.

As I write this, I remember that in the early 2000s, I used to subscribe to Time magazine and there was this one agent who used to service me. He would talk to me about renewals and the new rates and what free gifts were offered as part of my renewing the subscription. I started traveling quite a bit after 2003 and I remember having stacks of the magazine unread at home. After a few years I stopped subscribing as I felt I was just wasting money subscribing to something that I wasn’t reading.

The financial crisis of 2007 came and people were cutting down their expenses. I remember the agent called me sometime in 2008 asking me to take up my subscription again. I said no. It was a fairly short conversation.

A few years later I called up the company and asked for him. I wanted to take up an Economist subscription. The lady told me he had committed suicide during the years of the financial crisis. I have often wondered if his call to me was one of desperation. Of course I don’t know why he committed suicide. It may not even be related to his financial means but nevertheless it was a lesson. Listen and help if possible. If you cannot help then try and show them a way they can find help.