The Human Touch
Samm Sack
Staff Writer
It’s come to my attention that the term “human” is now selective.
A man is not exactly considered human without supporting himself on his own two feet. If a man is slumped up against the wall in torn up clothing, he’s officially less than a person. I’ll spare him my quarters and my sympathy but not much else as I walk away in $200 jeans and a full stomach. I think to myself that I did a good deed handing over my last $5 bill to this man when I could have gotten coffee instead.
I consider myself clueless.
Because unless I’m the man holding out a jar for sympathy but collecting dust instead, how can I truly begin to understand that this human being is simply crying out for help? That he may just be screaming to be considered equal, despite things that are out of his control?
Senior Rachel Parks, whose heart softened on her trip to the poverty-stricken areas of Ecuador, knew exactly what it meant for dire situations to be completely uncontrollable.
“I don't think it’s fair for young children to have to grow up the way some of them do,” Parks said. “It’s not their fault they were born into poverty.”
There are some people who think that same way. They don’t just cover their eyes and ears in hopes that ignorance will abolish the worst of the world. Instead, they reach out with loving hands to grasp onto a child’s troubled heart to heal it, if only for a moment. People like sophomore Amanda Ochsner.
“It made me really happy seeing the kids smile and laugh,” Ochsner said after volunteering at the People City Mission’s daycare. “It felt good knowing I was doing something that was helpful.”
Volunteering is a humbling experience, yet sometimes living itself can be just as humbling. Life handed Parks the gift of empathy when it presented her with adversity, as it does with every person who experiences any level of obstacle.
“I think because of my upbringing I can relate to people more and sympathize with them more easily,” Parks said. “That is the only way my mind could comprehend what I was seeing [on my trip to Ecuador].”
Like Parks, I have learned over time to appreciate the meaning of “human”. Every person I walk by has a story, despite how much money he or she has in his or her wallet, or how much success he or she has under his or her belt. I could look down with disgust on a man in torn clothing, but instead I should help him stand and walk. The other option, which many people seem to take, is to just ignore the straggling human instead.
Finally comprehending how little society actually contributes to the poor hits some people like an actual punch in the gut.
“I felt like my heart was breaking. I cried a lot because of it,” Parks said. “I felt like a spoiled little girl and that I take for granted what I have in this world. I felt amazing about helping but I felt like I needed to do so much more than that.”
I learned a lot of the same things that Parks did while in the poorest parts of Ecuador. Now, like her, I try and follow the guideline “if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two.” I’ve been given a lot of things and taken many of them for granted. Although there are people like Ochsner and Parks, it’s overwhelming how many students drive by a man holding a cardboard sign. Instead of stopping to dish out coins, they feel awkward for the next two miles and then forget the instance altogether.
“I get tired of seeing all of these kids at Waverly and in the world in general having so much given to them, but want people to give them more without having to work for it,” Parks said. “Many students won't understand and take little things like a full stomach or a pair of shoes as a grain of salt. It's not their fault their minds aren't fully developed to comprehend what it is like to be in another person’s place.
“In reality, I’m tired of people walking around like they can’t be touched,” Parks said.
It’s amazing what that word “touch” means when it comes from a person; it can mean a helping hand, a signal of comprehension or, on the other end, a slap to the face.
I think that it is Waverly’s responsibility and obligation to soften the human touch and reach out to those who need it.
