how may I be of service to you, stranger?

Tomorrow, at a nearby library, I will meet with the person who needs my help learning more about the English language, and any other helpful lifestyle, social and cultural tips that someone new to this country may need. I have been excited to be a newly oriented LCUP (a program under the Literacy Council of America) tutor in training, and will be meeting with this new person once a week to further their education in our wonderful land.

There are many routes to take that I have learned about "teaching" someone, or how to "communicate", but I know that it will only be them who "educate" me on what skills they need best. There are many hours of helpful tutorial guides I have completed to learn how best to offer them my help, but the most helpful is this- listen.

Listen- wouldn't we all be better off if we just listened to others once in a while. I have been around many folks who love to hear themselves talk, or when they talk- think that what they have said is so "right", so "educated" and so "informed", that they don't realize the only people listening are their own church members (so to speak, you know what I mean).

Diversity is great, when you can make it happen in your life- do it. Some people preach about diversity and helping, but when they look around- don't all their friends hold the exact same opinions, and do they not live in very similar lifestyles? Only talking about change, or talking about diversity, but not actually placing themselves out of their element?

Once again in my life, I have found a way to give back, not just by anonymous charity, not just by the clothes and food donations, but by really being active in some very small way. It's never enough, of course. And it's only a way I can find some small time away from my own family who needs me to help someone else's loved one who needs a little practical help without any preaching or self-righteousness. They don't care about someone's inner "pat on the back" do-goodiness, they just need to learn more, in order to help themselves.

It's not about my own need to help, it's about their need for help- that lit that old fire once again.
Welcome back to the world....