from Choire Sicha: It May Or May Not Be Ironic post about HOPE participants

I feel like this quote sums up a lot about what we’re willing and unwilling to look at most times. Why do people feel as though they’re just about to make a difference only to feel a bend in the truss of social support? Why does it never feel like we’re helping enough? Why do we feel compelled to solve problems that seem to be unanswerable?

I think sometimes there are too many opinions. I think people hold out for more perspective only because they want to stall the process. I think people have to feel too right before ‘making a difference’ is a logical enough persuit for them. There’s too much emphasis on fixing it. But these aren’t broken water pipes, they’re shattered lives.

I’d be willing to bet people who are on good terms with a religious upbringing have an easier time dealing with this. This isn’t to say I don’t think those without religion, or have fallen away from religious life understand it less. But, to me, it seems those who are religious are better equipped emotionally to deal these issues than those are the ones who don’t. There isn’t a quest for the reason behind intentions, there isn’t a push to find the bottom line. I sometimes think the good work of the average person is a contest and not the privilege of an willing being. Homelessness is not solvable, death is not curable. Anger is never really diffusible , and life will never not be extremely difficult at certain points. I would love to say all this upsets me because we’re trying to negotiate the existence of another human being. I’m really just disappointed.