Generosity

I've heard people say that while the United States of America is often lazy and obnoxious, it is one of the most generous countries in the world. I was playing CityVille on Facebook, fulfilling my American demands of being lazy and obnoxious, when the game sends a pop-up message. CityVille is giving all of the money spent on one of their instant "crops" to funding relief efforts in Japan after this horrible earthquake and tsunami.

Then I had a thought. Maybe one of the reasons we are so generous is because we are so lazy. We want to play these silly games and ignore the world around us, but our consciences can't quite let us forget about such present disasters. We certainly aren't going to take time off of work and buy tickets to travel across the world to help in person, so if we throw money at it we will feel better. It is our hard-earned wages, and giving feels good. Some of us buy instant crops in a Facebook game because, hey, we can afford to waste money on virtual junk. But somewhere, someone said, "Let's give some of this away." So, for a while, bored people with too much money, playing on Facebook, can feel like they have made a difference in the world because they bought virtual crops for charity, and we can be reminded that there are others who need money, too.

I think there's two sides to this idea. There's the argument that we as a country don't really want to help if it inconveniences us, which I often feel is true. Then there's the reminder that many people are using our technology to help us help others. Many people want to help; to feel they've made a lasting difference. They see commercials to sponsor impoverished children and think, "Can I fit that into my budget?" And then they see an ad on the side of a website they frequent advertising charities with easy, one-time donation systems ready. By making giving so easy for lazy people like you and I, we help a lot more around the world. So, in this case, I think being lazy is okay.

Now maybe we should make an effort and look up some charities. See if there's one whose cause you want to support, and consider making room in your budget to give just a little bit every now and then. I'm going to try this, too, because, you know what? Giving does feel good, and I guess I'm selfish.

Here's some charities I could think of offhand, but look for some of your own if you don't like these.
Water Harvest International
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
The American Cancer Society
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
Operation Smile
Doctors Without Borders
World Vision
Compassion
Heifer International