In the last week, I’ve gotten several calls from different numbers that I didn’t recognize, but that were reported as spam in the Truecaller app. “Spam – Donations”. Clearly, someone (probably a volunteer) calling to ask for support for whichever foundation they’re working for. I didn’t answer.
After a few calls like that, I started to wonder what it means that I won’t even answer. I value giving back and helping those less fortunate than myself. I have some money in the bank, I certainly wouldn’t miss 100 shekels. Especially with all of the money I’ve saved by not leaving the house in almost a year.
It doesn’t end there, even, I am constantly frustrated and anxious and sad, thinking about the fact that there are people that worry about where their next meal will come from. So many people. Close to 2 million people in Israel alone.
So I began to wonder more and more about what made me ignore those calls. Clearly it starts with the “warning” that I got from the Truecaller app which identified them. Not that it’s the app’s fault, that label came from thousands of users reporting those numbers as spam. It was a community-wide decision to label those numbers as spam. Calling on the behalf of people in need is spam, we’ve decided.
It makes me sad to think that that’s how we treat our neighbors, not that we pause long enough to imagine the humanity of those in need. The numbers vary from source to source, but there’s one thing that’s very clear – whether it’s 22% or 29%, there are too many people struggling for us to ignore it.
We’re all stuck at home, we’re all suffering in some way or another, so maybe it’s natural to block out the reality of other’s. But haven’t we advanced beyond our nature? Isn’t that where we’ve come to? That we choose to live by values that don’t align with the violent, animalistic natures of our past?
I can only speak for myself, of course, but I believe that we all have a fundamental worth as living beings and that if we have the ability to alleviate the suffering of others then we should.
With all of that said, and still much more to say about it all, I’ve decided at least that I can’t sit around and wait for anyone to call me to remind me yet again that we’re not doing enough. It’s time to lend a hand. With my freelancing, I’m much more insecure about my own income, but I’ve also gained much more flexibility in my hours. I’m choosing to give some of those hours to people that need it more than me. And in the end, I know that I’ll benefit from it as well.