It was very sweet, and written in Bangladeshi (or whatever his native script is called) and translated to English by WorldVision. It was actually kinda nice to have received that letter from half way around the world. He talked about his family, what they do and that they live in a thatched house. I don't know why he mentioned that because I can't really imagine that he lives in anything more than a thatched house (hence, why I'm helping him).
So I admit, I was sucked in by this stupid letter and I probably won't cancel my sponsorship (haha and I was going to cancel it around Christmas time. I'm such a bitch). However, I will probably reduce the amount of my monthly sponsorship and *gulp* I may contemplate getting another kid, maybe a kid from China. I think this is actually more of an educational than a charitable thing for me, to be honest. I know nearly nothing of the perils that go on half way around the world as I've been spoiled rotten in this money pit that is capitalist North America. My parents bitch about that all the time. I know of these third world countries and I've been told of what goes on there, but I guess the closest thing to experiencing it without going there is to communicate with someone who is experiencing it every single day. Lack of clean water, child labour, famine... unspeakable in a nation like mine, but a way of life for probably a good chunk of the world.
And perhaps this is better than natural parenting for me because it is not a thankless job(not that I expected to be thanked, I really didn't) and it comes without the labour pains and teenage angst . However, as any parent would prefer, the greatest 'thank you' of all would be if my kid (we'll call him 'P.J' as I can't really pronounce his name) put the education to good use and grew up to be a doctor or an astronaut or an Entertainment Tonight host! That would be awesome! It would be all thanks to my minor (not really) contribution to his education. How proud would I be? He may not be the fruit of my loins, but he's definitely the fruit of my coins.
4 comments:
Hahaha! That's awesome. I'm glad you've been suckered into keeping 'P.J.'.
yo, dump that shit. take the darwinian approach, if he cant make it, then he shouldnt. He's actualli holding back our species.
Under other circumstances, Dev, I just might agree with you. But this isn't a 'saving a life' kinda thing. I'm just helping him get an education, mostly. Like, the $ helps get him get books and supplies (allegedly). I figure everyone has a right to an opportunity to an education, as opposed to a right to live helplessly. It's a crapshoot, but it's more predictable than helping out a person with AIDS, cuz well, I know how that ends.
Hey, next dinner we get together, we gotta team up and take out Nam. He thinks I'm the Devil or something because of my 'Lifeboat Ethics' thinking...
haha, we'll see, depends where you take it. but helping the homeless is just that, helping them be homeless... sad to say, but not a very high percentage get out of those kinds of slums, no matter how many books they have. and once they're gone, well, we can save that cash and build our own little utopia, with no recolection of poor ppl. it's nature's way of thinning the herd
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