Volunteering — Returning the Favor
In the spirit of full disclosure, I’m going to talk about money a bit. It’s faux pas, especially in the professional blogosphere, but it is the crux of why we’re networking, why we work — the clear motivation for why we do what we do. We need money to survive, and more of it makes it easier to survive.
In Bong Joon Ho’s masterpiece Parasite, a character describes money as “an iron” with it’s ability to “smooth out the creases” of a person’s character. The film is a brilliant allegory on class and ‘class warfare’ while still striking a nerve and remaining captivating and entertaining throughout. Poetry like the dialogue found throughout that film can frame concepts in a new light, and the idea of it being easier to be nice when you’re rich is something that’s lingered in the back of my head for a long time now.
It especially rings true now that I’ve climbed my way out of poverty and into a different tax bracket ever since I’ve started working as a software engineer.
When I was a humble sports editor for a local newspaper, I still managed to find time to volunteer for my community (in the form of Louisiana Scout). Now I’ve added another cause — Shreveport Mutual Aid. We have started with food shares targeted at feeding houseless people, but also at creating a community where we share resources in our city.
The turnout and support has been remarkable. We’re organized in a fashion I see many established companies lack. Everyone is feeling pretty good so far, myself included.
But in the spirit of Parasite, the nobility associated with ‘helping’ others has waned as I become more conscious of my motivations and feelings. More than a handful of people local to my area have stopped me in coffee shops and at the gym to tell me how ‘proud’ they are of me for the work I’m doing as a leader with our Mutual Aid campaign. The spirit of that compliment rings true, and I get what they’re saying. Still, I can’t help but notice how easy it is to give back when I have so much. How easy it is to be nice when my world isn’t at risk of crumbling every second of every day.
Before I started working as an engineer, life always felt on the brink. One parking ticket, flat tire, jury summons or sick day could bring my world to heel. The main difference between my life before and after is that feeling — having enough money to provide cushion creates a confidence and ease of mind that simply is not afforded to those without a certain bank account balance. It makes it a whole lot easier to be kind, to be ‘agreeable’ — it’s a completely different way of approaching the world.
That doesn’t make volunteering in vain, nor does it nullify the inherent good being done by creating these organizations.
It is something to consider whenever your feeling of nobility reaches the point of arrogance.
****extra — Great article explaining mutual aid
