AT the wedding of one my daughter’s many friends and relatives offered to help, “Bob, if there’s any help you need, just ask!” Being in a naughty mood I asked her, “In what way can you help?” “Any way Bob!”
“Well,” I said, “Most things are arranged, but I would need somebody to help with the decoration of the hall, would you be able to?” “Where’s the hall?” she asked, her eyes looking very uncertain. I told her where it was. “Is there something I can do closer home?” she asked.
“No!” I said, “There isn’t!” To be truthful, I enjoyed her discomfiture and immediately said, “Listen, don’t worry, if there’s something I need, I’ll call you!” “Yes Bob,” she said, her eyes lighting again, “Just call me, you have my number!” I looked at her as she went away, and wanted to say, “But I just called for help, and you couldn’t help!”
I’m sure we all do the same thing at some time or other; uttering meaningless words. We then march off feeling good with ourselves. Maybe we should start changing those meaningless lines. Instead of uttering such useless words, we should know what we can do to help and then offer that particular bit of aid. “Hey can I help you? I have a car, and if you need it in the afternoons you can use my car and driver!”
What you’ve done is offered something concrete, which the person knows he can rely on. Then there are others who like to show they don’t need help. One day while I was walking in the park I saw a rather elderly gentleman trying to walk a little faster than his age permitted him. Suddenly he slipped and fell, and a number of people went to pick him up. A doctor who is a friend of mine also went to help and stretched out his hand.
I was shocked when the old gentleman pushed the doctor’s hand away rudely and clambered up by himself, only to fall down again. This time nobody went forward to help, making me realize that when help is offered, by someone, take it. So here’s something for us to chew on today, when you offer someone help, mean what you say, and when someone genuinely offers to help you when you need help, take his or her offer. By giving and taking help we show we need each other to live in this world. There’s some giving of help and some receiving of help and the world just becomes a happier place with both happening..!
—Email: bobsbanter@gmail.com
