It has been a humbling day. Despite 24 deg C temperatures we have had a dozen people on-site today helping to prepare a polytunnel. Working a good five hours they have collectively cleared and weeded a 30 foot site. They are all volunteers from a gardening club and the group partake in gardening activities for each member.
Giving up time for others is a great thing. Society seems to be driven by the need to make money and spend it and this incessant drive dominates our living and consumes our every moment. I was reading Geographical, the magazine of the Royal Geographical Society, and their review of Richard Mabey's book A Brush with Nature in which Mabey asks "Does anyone go walking for its own sake any more?" It made me wander whether any of us take time to just enjoy what we have and amble without any pressure or need to be somewhere, or doing something. Instead we relax by watching the TV and end up being driven by the celebrity lifestyle thrust upon us.
So back to the best of humanity. Having watched Doctor Who The Hungry Earth in which he asks his friends to be the best of humanity I was reminded of the challenge that we all face. I guess it is whether we choose to be selfish or selfless with our time, and today's gardening crew was certainly giving of theirs. My friend Llinos also needed my help today to recover 4 hours of lost school work, and fortunately I used some freeware to recover most of her work.
Her gratitude was more than enough reward (and besides she gives up her time to run our local Sunday School). Maybe if we all just gave some of our time, and appreciated the time that other's give to us, then we might all make a step towards realising the best of humanity.
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