Look at me! Look at me! I'm a GIVER, baby.

"How did you spend your weekend?"

"Nothing much... Stayed at home, reading."

"Ooooh... I spent mine cleaning up my closet. I had no idea I had so much junk! Took me the whole weekend to clear it all up. I gave away my old clothes for the Tsunami charity collection. Now my closet is clean, bare and ready for the next Megasale!"

"He who gives what he would as readily throw away, gives without generosity; for the essence of generosity is in self sacrifice."
Henry Taylor

A friend of mine boasted that she gave away 4 huge boxes of clothes for the Tsunami victims. Her sister later confided in me that the boxes were filled with tattered ol't-shirts, stained shorts and torn pantyhoses.

I was sickened, really. The tsunami victims are in need of aid. They are NOT living, breathing garbage bins. To donate good, usable clothes... THAT'S charity. To dump stuff you wouldn't and couldn't wear... that's just cruel. If many others had this attitude, no wonder the charities had to say "No More Clothes, Please"

It's really ironic that the tsunami tragedy has brought out the tragic demise of honest to goodness charity.

On the front pages of some of our local papers, you see the headline "MAJOR TSUNAMI DONORS" complete with a list that states the donor's name, company and amount donated. If the donor is important enough, his face is plastered there too.

On the tv news, we are constantly barraged with scenes of huge cheques changing hands... with cameras clicking and the donor donating us with a big, satisfied grin.

Don't get me wrong. It's wonderful that they're donating. It really is... But I can't help but think of whether or not all this publicity and glam is needed...

What seems to be generosity is often no more than disguised ambition, which overlooks a small interest in order to secure a great one.
Francois De La Rochefoucauld (1613 - 1680)

I know of many people who have donated generously... and anonymously. And I also know of people who donate (via sms) just to see their names published in a little section in the local newspaper...

Charity in exchange for Publicity... that's not charity, that's making a deal.

The act of charity that hastens to proclaim its good deeds, ceases to be charity, and is only pride and ostentation.
William Hutton

Lets give without expecting something in return.
Lets give what we can afford to give.
Lets give unconditionally.

Lets not give torn pantyhoses in the name of charity...