What's in it for me??


Growing up I remember hearing a lot about the “good old days”.  When neighbour meant more than just the person who lives next door to you, and people still had a sense of community spirit, you could leave your door open all night, and you could look to your local community for help and support when you needed it.
I didn’t have a particularly good start to the year for one reason or another, I was in a job I didn’t enjoy, I had some health issues and frankly life could have been a hell of a lot better.  However, I got through this by realising that no matter how hard things get or how bad a hand of cards life deals you there is always someone worse off than you.  Every day I got up I found some example of this.
In today’s society too many people think only of themselves. What’s in it for me?  You know, sometimes it’s nice to just go out there and do something just for the sake of it. Okay you might not get paid or get anything out of it, but sometimes that warm fuzzy feeling you get from helping someone else is enough.
I think I have had this on my mind for a while now, as it seems to me that my Follow Friday blog last week resolves around the same theme.  So what has prompted me to blog about this.
I had a conversation this week with Matt Segar, a local lad, who despite his young age, has really stepped up to the mark and it has impressed me greatly.
Sadly, Matt’s best friend Matthew Hatton was the first York soldier to be killed in Afghanistan earlier this year. A tragic and unacceptable loss for his friends and his family.  However, Matt’s family and friends didn’t just sit and dwell on their loss; they decided to do something in Matthew’s memory to help raise funds for Help for Heroes instead, a charity that was close to Matthew’s heart.
They didn’t exactly go for anything easy either! As a group they decided to climb Mount Kilimanjaro in March next year.  This has meant they are trying hard to raise the minimum sponsorship required.  Matt has organised an auction which will take place this Sunday at the Hilton in York.  Tickets are £10 each and are available from The Black Horse in Wigginton and the Dormouse in Clifton, or from Matt.
He has arranged live music from Jim Harbourne and Alistair Griffin, and the night will be led by Minster FM’s breakfast team and the Right Honourable Lord Mayor and Civic Party will be in attendance.
There are over 54 auction lots, with some pretty great prizes and I know from talking to Matt that this number is increasing daily, if you can’t get there on the night then pre-bids are welcomed so that you don’t miss out.  There will also be a raffle on the night as well.
Talking to Matt was humbling, the amount of time and effort that he has put into this auction is amazing, and he still has his biggest challenge ahead of him in actually climbing Mount Kilimanjaro.  Just looking at the list of auction lots it was lovely to see how much the local community had rallied together.
More information can be found here on Matt’s Facebook page for the auction, or contact me and I will pass your message on to Matt.
So today instead of asking yourself what’s in it for me, ask yourself what small thing you could do for someone else to make their day better instead.  It may be something small, looking after a pet, baby sitting, going to the shop, or something a little bigger such as visiting an elderly neighbour to offer a bit of company and conversation.  It may be helping a business colleague in some way. But trust me, when you do, that warm fuzzy feeling is worth it.  Let’s bring the community back to our neighbourhoods.


7 comments:

  1. Definitely! I'm lucky enough to live here in Jersey, where there is a far stronger sense of community, still.

    You often see people picking up bits of litter which they find on the streets, helping each other out in little ways (standing aside in the supermarket, offering to carry things) etc, and it's great - because once you see one person take a positive step, it's very inspiring.

    Good on you though - if we all did something to make a stranger smile today, and it was passed on, the world would be very different!

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  2. Thanks for your comment Matt and you are so right, if people just take tiny steps it will soon filter out amongst the whole community. I guess the other thing we need to remember is to say thank you as well. Sometimes people rush round so much they forget the little things!

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  3. Well said, Helen :)

    Random acts of kindness benefit both the receiver and the giver and is not something to be underestimated.

    If you do nothing today, make sure you do one teenie weenie selfless act.

    Great post Helen - Keep 'em coming!

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  4. The first week i lived in SE Asia, I realised that we in the UK do not have anything to moan about, free education, free healthcare, even our poor have central heated 2 bedroom apartments.

    I watched 6 year old girls begging, a tank go through a hotel entrance during a military takeover (attempted).

    And we cannot even open doors for ladies anymore, or walk next to the curb to protect them, say thankyou when asking for money at the tills, oh I really could go on here.

    But it falls down to us, and like you have done here Helen, we can make a difference just like this brave young lad is doing.

    I will not lose my manners, my smile and my chivalrous values whilst others do, it is us few that will make everything great again!

    Heres to the few, ******* to the many!

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  5. Chris, I couldn't agree with you more. Let's remember our manners and our smiles and chivalry. It does make the world a better place.

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  6. I great blog and a very interesting read. When you read things like this it makes you remember that there still are some good people out there in the world. Sean

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  7. Hi Helen

    What a thought-provoking blog post. I'm so pleased you shared your thoughts.

    So many people these days just don't want to get involved or can't be bothered to do something for nothing. People don't find time for each other and often turn a blind eye to what is going on around them.

    Maybe the pace of life is to blame or perhaps people simply can't see their way past juggling everything at the same time.

    Young people get such a bad press these days. It makes me quite angry as there are so many fabulous role models around - like Matt - who put many adults to shame.

    Well done to him! Hopefully, his kindness will rub off on those around him. And over time, all these collective acts of kindness will revive a dying way of life.

    Thanks Helen. Fab post!

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