Working as A "Begger"

This Saturday was a Flag Day. Although I still don’t understand why it is called Flag Day, what I exactly knew was that we had to undergo a tough afternoon.

We were supposed to act as the volunteer of the Disabled People Association from 1300 to 1800, that is we had to raise money for the fund during about 5 hours. Every one of us would be given a big tin and 3 pieces of stickers----the tin was a money collector without the output hole, and the stickers were for marking the people who had already donated, thus he didn’t need to donate if he were reluctant to do twice.

Almost all hadn’t done any job like that before, so everyone was wearing a nervous smile. I was also very worried, thinking that what an embarrassment to ask others for money, but what I thought about more was that how awful the job was. We had studied for a whole week so it was time for us to relieve, not for the labour. But after I finished the whole 3 pieces of the stickers, and carried the heavy tin full of money to join other team members, I totally changed my thought.

If you ask any of us whether we’d like to help the disabled or serve someone who need help, I think to a large extent there will be no deny. But that is only a idea on surface, when it comes to the real time needing your service, most would no doubt choose to run away, thus we have no courage to burden the labour and the sacrifice these voluntary jobs require. It’s always easier to say than to do. I think that is the difference between us ordinary people and the noble hero with pure and sacred soul.

Many of us, at least I cannot say confidently that I am prepared well to do for others---- the altruism. When the social moral go against your own right, or the others’ right is the contrast to your own right, which would you choose? I bet mostly we will balance the two opposite, and finally made the decision if the situation permits.

The willing to sacrifice for the others is only the weak slogan hanging on our tongue; our sympathy or the compassion is only limited to such a useless scale by our selfishness; we lack the courage to scarify ourselves to help others; we lack the courage to bravely face the devil inside our heart, but only to find excuses to help concealing the ugly side deeply buried in our soul. Somehow I think it is the sin the Bible and the scriptures of many other religions refer to.

I feel rather ashamed for the initial thought about this task. For me, it’s a bath for my soul. I really cannot understand the asceticism before the task, but now I can. Although it is the extreme I con, it is true that the external labour can purify our internal soul. Hope there will be more chances.