Shine So Bright, by Martha Thomases – Brilliant Disguise

September 17, 2011 Martha Thomases 9 Comments

How was your 9/11 Tenth Anniversary?  Mine was low-key.  I took a walk, and then watched TCM all day so I wouldn’t have to see any news coverage.  I don’t need to see the video again.  It plays in my head constantly.

I didn’t participate in the Day of Service suggested by President Obama.  It wasn’t the kind of day when I wanted company. 

Others didn’t participate because they disagreed with the concept.  In this opinion piece, the writer thinks a day of service is not the proper way to commemorate the start of a war.  December 7 is not a day of service.  

However, the War on Terror is not like a war against a nation like Japan.  The terrorists are not organized like a national army.  There is no one who can surrender on behalf of Al Quaeda.  The way to protect ourselves from terrorism is to care for each other.

Others objected to the Day of Service because they don’t like the President.  I get this, too, up to a point.  I remember when the sight of George W. Bush made me scream cusses at the television.  The difference, however, is that I did this in the privacy of my own home (or maybe Mike Gold’s home).  I didn’t get paid millions of dollars for my hysterical and unprovoked reaction.  And I didn’t complain about W. doing things I had praised when they were done by people I supported.

Some people are never satisfied. 

Still, I didn’t participate in the Day of Service.  It’s not something for which I need a special occasion.  Community service is part of my regular routine.  It would be nice if I did this because i’m such a good person, but, really, what are my other choices?  As an unemployed woman of a certain age, there aren’t that many other ways to occupy my time.

And here’s the dirty little secret about volunteering:  It feels real, really good.  You meet other people who share an interest in the cause with which you’re involved, you get out and actually do something, and everyone is grateful.  Unlike donating money, which is more blessed when it’s anonymous, volunteering gives you a chance to shine in front of an audience.

There was a time, in the 1980s, when conservatives praised social darwinism, including enlightened self-interest, as a necessary part of successful capitalism.  If this is indeed a factor, I think that community service is at the very heart of the concept.  Not only does it make one feel good, but it improves the community in which one lives.  It’s win-win.

And if we can be persuaded that our community expands around the whole planet, then the terrorists can’t win.

Martha Thomases is delighted to find a way to work in another title from the awesome Teddy Thompson, even if the song is about being an douchebag rock star.