sometimes

[maevele]

 I get all rough on myself about not "doing anything" with my life. Having no greater purpose, not Helping people, not Doing Great Things,  stalling out on creating, generally lacking goals and usefullness.  Yeah. I'm raising kids, and trying to help them be awesome people, but that's not a purpose in life.   But this week, I visibly helped someone with major life issues just by listening and being available.

 So I started thinking about other times I have helped people just by being there for them, and maybe that's my goddamn place in the world. Being someone people can come to, and talk to when they don't know who else to call.   Because even people who I am not particularly close with have confided shit they needed to work out to me, since, like, forever.   Other people's kids confess things to me they can't talk to their folks about.  Sometimes near strangers will lay their shit out on me.  And I never know what to say, but it always seems to help them anyway.       I have a LOT of other people's secrets.   Maybe even more than my own. 

And y'know  if that's how I contribute to the greater good? I'm okay with that being my purpose. It at least means I have one anyway, so I can quit beating myself up.  I thought my purpose was going to be something more active, constructive, creative maybe, that I'd make a difference in a whole lot of lives, but hey, I'm making a difference on an individual level, right?

Comments

[rhivolution]

Not that you asked, but...I really admire that about you--you really seem to give of yourself and want to help people, including this latest issue with your friend, and that's so awesome.

[zillah975]

I think too many people underestimate the importance of doing that kind of thing. It's easy to feel like you have to do BIG THINGS for them to count, but the entire world is just a lot of individual people, and each one of those people needs to talk to another person, needs to feel the support and compassion of another person. Just a person, you know? Someone who cares. That's a huge difference, and the fact that it's for one person at a time doesn't make it any less. Every person is a universe.

[raanve]

I am so glad to know you.

[polemista]

You also journal about your life, gender, mental illness, etc, which reduces the invisibility of heavily marginalized groups of people.
I think a lot of people underestimate the importance in just being a public voice.
It gives others like me a sense that I'm not alone even if we hardly know each other.