Believing is seeing - Paul Gomirato

“What’s with that man on the park bench looking for a hand out? What makes him so special that he doesn’t have to work for a living like you and me?”

Maybe he suffers from a mental illness and can’t hold down a job, or simply lost his way in life and is missed dearly by his family. Maybe it’s not his fault.

“And that 15 year old girl who is looking for her next fix should never have tried that drug the first time it was offered to her.”

Maybe she wouldn’t have been in the wrong place at the wrong time if she wasn’t forced to find comfort on the streets because of a troubled home.

Maybe.

We can say, “life is about making choices, deal with it.”

But what about those individuals who were dealt unfair challenges and forced to overcome them? Did they really have a choice, or are they simply trying to do the best they can with the coping skills life has given them?

Choices have a way of either opening doors of opportunity or, for some, closing them. Most of us are blessed with having made the right choices at the right time throughout our lifetime. Does that make us somehow wiser, luckier?

Or were the stars aligned just right that day?

Maybe.

Or maybe some things are beyond our control and not choices at all.

It’s true that in life, we have an obligation to learn from our mistakes. It is also true that sometimes we must rely on the kindness of others to help us get back on our feet, brush the dust off and give it another go. Not unlike a toddler learning to walk – the intention is there but the means need our support.

It is also true that sometimes we must rely on the kindness of others to help us get back on our feet, brush the dust off and give it another go.

I believe that each one of us has a unique set of skills that help to navigate our way through life. The weaving of these collective skills into a strong social fabric is what community-building is all about. Some of us choose to keep these skills to ourselves, while others choose to share them. Whether you coach a hockey team or help a neighbour out, you are improving lives and building community.

As you read this, you too have a choice. You can choose to believe that every person deserves an opportunity for a second chance. You can choose to believe that not every person is at a place in life of their own choosing. You can choose to support efforts to help the less fortunate in our community so they too can be part of a stronger social fabric.

The United Way is all about helping those in need. The organization raises funds to help support local agencies who provide more than 60 vital progams and services to those less fortunate in our community.

I made a choice many years ago to believe in an organization that believes in improving the well-being of our community. I hope you will too.

Every Deed. Every Donation. Every Volunteer.

It all matters.

Paul Gomirato is president of United Way/Centraide Sudbury and District.