Or, in other words, ‘My sore thumb hurts worse than your sore thumb!‘
This was something that my mother used to tell me as her way of saying that human nature will often dictate that we focus more on our own problems than on the problems of others. And, that this will typically occur regardless of the disparity between the actual significance of each problem or situation.
Of course this statement is not matter of fact as there are those among us for whom empathy towards others is a first instinct.
My thoughts went to this subject on Memorial Day, a national holiday that is dedicated to honoring those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in order to ensure that the rest of us can enjoy freedom and the American way of life.
On the same day I also received an email concerning the installation of new showers and the extremes of the contrast struck me.
First Memorial Day:
Memorial Day: For remembering the men and women who died while serving in the country’s armed forces.
And, by the way, it’s not about simply remembering on one day in May because those who have made the ultimate sacrifice as well as those who protect our way of life each and every day need to be in our hearts and minds 365 days a year!
Now the email about showers:
As I emailed you guys the other day, there is a special meeting at 4 PM at the club June _ to discuss the men’s showers. The money was approved in the budget last December, however there are some that are trying to simply not do the work. I feel strongly about this as we have the money this year. I could have sat back and said I’ve spent 12 years on the board, 6 as president, 3 in a row and let it go at that. But I have not done that and now there is a meeting to discuss it. I am not trying in anyway to divide the board nor the club. My goal is simply to get the men’s locker room clean , sanitary and private showers. We only have room for 3 but that is what we are dealt with. We would like to change the sinks and vanity to give the bathroom a fresh look.
All I ask is your support to show up at the meeting sunday afternoon. Mark your calendar now and tell your spouse to hold off on making other plans at this time of day. We will have beer and wine, snacks some great music and meetings like this tend to make our club stronger.
On second thought, however, perhaps it is the freedoms afforded us by the men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice that makes this email about showers possible, no matter the insignificance of the subject or the day on which it was sent.
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