THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE

Sometimes I feel helpless.

Sometimes I feel overwhelmed by the hard times I see in our community.

I walk down North Tryon Street and I see big-shining-glittery banks and beautiful people and all the bells and whistles that come with winning. And I see people sleeping on benches and struggling and shuffling and those two worlds are right next to each other and it’s like they never touch. It’s crazy.

And it’s not just homelessness. That’s the tip of the iceberg. You start breaking past the surface of our town and you begin to see the 150,000 people living in poverty. You begin to see the discrimination and segregation. You begin to see how hard it is for some of us just to get by, and you start to see the world around you in a different way. It’s like a beautiful, terrible flower opening before your eyes. You start talking to people and you hear about their lives and their struggles and their triumphs and their alone-ness and their moments of grace and you manage to be inspired and devastated within the span of one breath. But at least it’s real. It feels real. Like the veil has been pulled away.

But what can I do about it?

There is suffering.

I am suffering.

Every time I turn on the news or read an article or listen to the radio I am inundated with ugliness that makes me feel powerless, and like the world is doomed and ugly and sad. Shootings, war, fighting, politics, hatred, discrimination. It never ends.

What can I do?

I vote. I pay my taxes. And I look around and wonder why the world is the way it is. We’ve got government and task forces and leaders and I’m just sitting here feeling helpless and bummed because they haven’t fixed it, haven’t made the world the way I think it should be.

I gotta do. I gotta do something. I am not helpless.

This is the story of Christian and Meher. They are inspiring me. It’s 2 people who are working together to practice love and heal each other. I think this is what it looks like. This is what it looks like when somebody stops feeling helpless and says I am going to do something. Just One Life. Just one small thing. One small act that says I am not helpless, I will not sit by and let the dark wash over me, I will stand and I will fight and I will shine and I will hurt and I will stumble but I’ll get up and keep going because I believe and I trust and I love and I can make a damn difference in somebody’s life. I am going to LIVE.

-Scott Gardner

We suggest you begin with the JUST ONE LIFE video above, then watch Meher’s Story if you are interested in learning more. Her story is an opportunity to go in depth with her and learn what it looks like when you invest in another human being.