We pass a sign every time we turn into our neighborhood.
To the left,
Shortly after you pull in,
The sign,
Nondescript,
Is conveniently located and it called to me.
Actually,
Angie and I considered it for months before talking to each other about it.
It read,
Join Pack 584.
Simply,
The idea was intriguing.
To sign our son up for Cub Scouts with the hopes of engaging him with peers and getting him outside more.
I wasn't part of the Boy Scouts as a kid and Angie wasn't a Girl Scout.
The closest we'd ever gotten was the seasonal cookies,
Thin Mints,
Tagalongs,
You know what I'm talking about.
But this seemed right for the moment for our son.
And when we contacted the local Cub Scout Den,
We were invited to come and simply try it out.
The first event we attended was a cleanup of the streets in our local downtown area.
We went as a family,
Wore the appropriate clothes,
Donned plastic gloves,
And I'd never seen the kids so excited about picking up trash.
Most of the items the kids picked up were fast food cups,
Wrappers,
Bags,
The usual fare.
Occasionally,
Things got exciting with a broken bottle or discarded toy.
As the work began,
We were pleasantly surprised to connect with a few families from our neighborhood that we hadn't previously met.
Quickly,
We found commonalities,
And I found myself engrossed in conversation.
We talked about schools,
Hobbies,
Family life,
Jobs.
And before I knew it,
About an hour had passed.
I looked around and was struck at how clean the streets were that we had canvassed.
The time had passed quickly.
So we deposited the trash bags,
Said our goodbyes,
And I turned to Angie and sheepishly informed her.
I hadn't picked up a single piece of trash.
I had been so engaged,
Talking and meeting new people,
That before I knew it,
We were done.
Also,
The kids were so efficient and effective that they picked up every single piece of litter on our route.
And as I trailed at the back of the group,
Talking,
There really was little for me to do.
As we walked away,
The kids reflected on the fun they had and the cleanliness of the roads they left.
They weren't overly taxed or burdened by the effort of spending a morning walking down the road and picking up trash.
It impressed me.
They were not burdened by their work.
But they had also made a great impact.
The old trite saying came to mind,
Many hands make light work.
That saying was proven true that day.
And the saying stuck in my mind for a few days after.
The thing is,
Sometimes I find myself disillusioned by calls to action.
I'm often overwhelmed by the corruption I encounter and the negativity assailing me from all sides.
In response,
I'm ashamed to say,
Many times I retreat and turn inward,
Feeling like nothing I do could make a difference.
In those moments,
I feel like the problems are too big.
They are like giant snowballs,
Gaining momentum as they rush down a mountain,
Ruining communities,
Homes,
Relationships,
And lives with great,
Unstoppable power.
Similarly,
In the face of cleaning the filthy streets of my hometown,
I would also feel overwhelmed if I were on my own.
Fortunately,
When faced with that task,
I wasn't alone.
I was surrounded by the optimism of children,
Willing to lend a hand in the effort.
All of us,
Well,
Maybe not me,
Put our hands to the task and cleaned those streets,
Everyone doing their part.
I think I did point out a few hidden grocery bags.
You get the point.
And that effort reminded me of the power of the many,
The ability of many beautiful lives working toward a goal to make a change,
To make a difference.
So how about you?
Do you find yourself feeling insignificant,
Especially when faced with the challenges of this world?
Do you feel like your words and actions are futile?
Like me,
Does it sometimes cause you to throw your hands up in helpless exasperation?
If so,
Be reminded of the power of many hands doing their part and working together for good.
Each piece of trash picked up or good deed done,
When combined with hundreds,
Thousands,
Millions of others has immense power to make a difference.
So I encourage you to do right.
Based on your convictions and I pledge to do the same because if we do,
We may just help this world find the peace and happiness it deserves.
