At one point not that long ago, I let my house
out whilst my family and I enjoyed an overseas tour. Between
tenants there was a short period when the house was unoccupied
and during that time somebody partially burned it down.
There was a question mark over aspects of insurance, which
meant my wife and I faced a repair bill of £30,000. Only a couple
of weeks after learning the news I embarked on a humanitarian
aid trip to Romania where I witnessed hardship and poverty beyond
my comprehension. It didn’t take long during that trip
for me to realise that despite my impending financial loss
I was actually better off than I thought.
What would you say to the suggestion that aspirations of money,
power or status could be misguided, or at least distorted by
the way we live? Most people would probably glibly acknowledge
that perception. But then if not power, money or material gain
what else is there? I would agree that if you fancy a pint down
the pub and you are 20p short, then money is important. Of course
it can be a means to an end, but don’t you think it unfortunate
that the notion to accumulate money and achieve power or status
should be of such singular importance to so many of us?
Exposure to human hardship and suffering can be a provocative
experience, which can affect people in several ways. One could
acknowledge an experience, dismiss it and then continue on One’s
chosen path. Another option could be for the experience to trigger
a reaction which spurs One into activity seeking to help those
less fortunate, but there is middle ground too. The activities
of Project Albert continue to expose participants to situations
and environments far removed from their everyday lives. To undertake
work, in this case the construction of suspension bridges, and
to come to understand the problems and philosophies of the communities
being helped does not leave One unchanged. The middle ground
I’m talking about is when One is provoked by a situation,
sight or even smell, which then prompts an individual to selectively
absorb the experience in a positive way. This year’s team
have each to their own degree altruistically found that middle
ground. Their perceptions and understanding of human nature,
communication and ultimately compassion have broadened and they
will carry those experiences with them for a long time. It is
a fact that the inevitable transposition of these sometimes indelible
experiences into everyday life has a generally positive and frequently
lasting humanitarian effect, and that can’t be a bad thing.
It was not philanthropy which made the insurance company eventually
pay up for repairs to my house, but the point is the prospect
of paying off such a large debt seemed less important than it
first did.
Eddie Brophy
|
