Beneficiaries

I begin a new venture today, one that I hope will add some measure of good to this world. It is a very small way of reaching out, but it is all I know how to do. I barely have enough money to take care of myself, so contributing money to some good cause is out of the question. I cannot support a child in a third world country, nor can I send medicine to some tribe in Africa, but there is a part of me that is uncomfortable with that anyway.

For all the good that many organizations do, most also have an underlying agenda of some sort that may, or may not, be hidden behind their offerings. Corruption is one of the constants in our civilization. It starts out with the person who swipes an unneeded penny and goes straight to the top. It crosses the lines between money, religious and ethical views, and power, uniting them all at the basest level. It appears to be considered acceptable in as much as it is known to exist and no one knows how to honestly and effectively eliminate it.

I hate having such a cynical view, but it is here, lying just behind the surface of a person who wants us all to treat each other as if we really are one. I really do believe that whatever we do to the least among us affects us all. I also admit that doing what I do best gives me great joy. I reap far more benefits from it than I think I will ever produce by doing it, so there is a niggling amount of guilt here. Am I doing this for the benefit of humanity, or for myself? Which one predominates?

Honestly, I am afraid I am the ultimate beneficiary, but like I said, it is all I know how to do.