I am getting to know the work ethic of the dancers at JazzArt very well while rehearsing in the studio, and they are all hard workers. But it's not until we step outside of the space that we get to know each other better, and spending time together outside of the 9-5 work day gives me a chance to really get to know the kind of people they are and gives us a chance to share each others stories. What I'm learning is a few differences between the character of a standard American and South African that I want to share with you...
A major thing I see here in South Africa that I don't see quite often in America is the willingness to give. In America, in most cases at least, if a homeless person or person in need is asking for food we turn the other cheek. We keep walking and we ignore the person in need. We automatically assume that it is all an act and that we work hard for our food so why should we give to those who are on the streets. In South Africa, you feed the person .... These are their people! They look out after each other, and if a person is hungry you find food to give them. They know this person needs it more than they do. I was asked if we do that in America. Shamefully I said no,we don't feed the homeless unless they're in a shelter ... And they're jaw dropped. She said "What!? That's wrong! You're telling me you don't help a hungry person when you see them starving? That act is not appropriate here in our streets."
So to Americans that are reading this, there is some food for thought. (No pun intended)
Goodnight again,
- Maria
I disagree........we feed the homeless all the time. Our church has lunch for them every Sunday and if I see somebody hungry in the street, I get them food. And my friends do too. So tell your new South African friends, some of us do.
ReplyDeleteIn South Africa not everyone gives directly the homeless. We are encouraged to give to shelters and other NGOs so that people are not encouraged to live on the streets.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate your feedback, but I would like to clarify that this is all from my experiences and there will always two sides of every story. But what I see in America is different than what I see in South Africa. In both countries there are opportunities to feed the needy in shelters, churches, food banks, etc. And you will find people in both countries who will help those or deny those in need. The point that I wanted to get across is that from my perspective the willingness to give...not just food but even a hug or emotional warmth is a lot stronger here than what I find at home.
ReplyDeletePlease don't take offensive to the materials I write. As to part of the reason why I am exercising my speech in this blog is to open my eyes to parts of life I may be missing out on. And what I have learned from this is that I need to take better responsibility and care for those of my community more than I do so now. We will all take away something different from what we view day to day.