I started the Thursday thoughts meme by going through the 12 points of the scout law. Today’s thought takes the form of the third point, a scout is helpful.
Trying to bring this into every day living is the part where people struggle. Sometimes, we get wrapped up in our own problems and fail to see how the lives of others might be improved with just a little help.
It doesn’t have to be something huge, although big favors are rarely overlooked except by the most ungrateful. For example, a coworker once helped me to build my shed, a job I could never have done alone due to the size of the pieces. The help was, and still is, greatly appreciated.
But small things are important, too. Getting the door for someone with hands full. Picking up an item when a stranger drops it in the grocery store. Scratching someone’s back.
Then, there is the professional aspect. It is incumbent upon a seasoned veteran to help mentor and train the next generation. It’s what we writers call paying forward, and it pays real dividends.
As a writer, I have benefited greatly by the experience passed on by people like Orson Scott Card, David Gerrold, Michael A. Stackpole, and others.
Perhaps the most impact is upon the person doing the help. I know that whenever I do something for somebody, I feel good about what I did, and about myself. And nothing is better than that feeling.
