The news has been a ghastly sight recently, and by recently, I mean before the mass shooting in Las Vegas. Since then, the news has been... well I am not quite sure because I haven't been able to bring myself to turn it on. But I have been on social media, and the things I saw there have made me think.
In my daily scrolling I came across Jimmy Fallon's monologue from his show this week and the video of Mr. Rogers that accompanied it. In this video, of everyone's favorite neighbor, Mr. Rogers talks about how he was taught to deal with tragedy when he was a kid. He says:
“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, "Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.”
With that, I've been thinking about helpers and looking for them because, honestly, Mr. Rodgers has never steered me wrong.
I've come to a few conclusions.....
First, posting how sad you are about a certain event on social media does not make you a helper. It makes you a whiner, and no one likes whiners. No one cares that you're "sad that the world has come to this" (within reason) because this is not about the woman posting in the suburbs of whichever East Coast state she lives in. People lost their lives, parents lost their children, and children lost their parents. Empathy is great, but are these posts really helping? Are you posting your sadness in honor of those directly affected by these events, or do you want some sympathy for yourself?
Second, posting about the political implications of gun control or the NRA does not make you a helper either. Only acting on your political opinion makes you a helper. So call your representative or run for office or donate some money to a relief effort, but stop sharing your negativity and do something.
Third, and on a less aggressive note, being a helper doesn't have to mean being the president (or impeaching the president). Being a helper does not have to be just for doctors, lawyers, government employees, or any other type of person that owns a plethora of suits. Being a helper can start small. It can start with the people you see everyday at work or school. Making these relationships positive makes a difference.
In general being a helper means...
....thinking outside of your own wants and giving away your hope, time, and thoughts like a gift to another person.
....exuding compassion and stifling the urge to react negatively.
....being a friend, a teacher, a sister or brother, a mom or dad, and so on so that another person in the world besides you has a model of selflessness and generosity to emulate.
....following the golden rule because you believe it is good for the world as a whole, and not because you can post about it on your Facebook status.
I am just a humble 20-year-old college student that watches a lot of Netflix and is struggling to read Hillary's new book (sorry, had to put her in here somewhere) so I can't say I am qualified to weigh in too heavily on the affairs of the world right now. But I have observed a media craze about, not only the tragedy in Las Vegas, but about current affairs all over the world. I have seen a lot of negative or sad posts, but I continue to look for the helpers. I realized I see them more in my own day to day life than online. Because of that, I seek to be a helper in the real world and not through my screens, and I also wish that for others.
I think Mr. Rodgers would agree with me here, or at least a girl can dream. I think he'd say helping is essential now more than ever and that posting nonsense online will not heal, strengthen, and fix the world. Sorry Zuckerburg, but the capabilities of your website (besides the sharing of this article) will not get people through tough times, but only going out and helping will.
