There's Always Someone

Over the last few years I’ve read more and more about people in prison being released because new DNA testing procedures have proved their innocence of the charges for which they were imprisoned.  The latest man I read about had been in prison for 26 years, but he’s now a free man.  And while I do see the negative aspect of these situations–this man had spent 26 years of his life in prison for someone else’s crime–I also see an amazing positive side to this phenomenon.  Specifically, I find it very encouraging to see that there are people out there who care enough about other human beings to take the time to develop and administer tests that can be used to vindicate other people, whom they’ll probably never meet, and get them released from prison.

There are lots of great people out there, doing great things that benefit other members of the human race.  The human race isn’t all about greed and selfishness and violence and fanaticism; rather, it’s about giving and sharing and doing things for other people.  It’s about serving and helping.  We human beings get along best when we’re doing things for others, hopefully in a field in which we really enjoy working.  There are doctors who love being doctors who do great things for people, and teachers who love being teachers who also contribute great things to their fellow human beings.  We tend to see more of the unhappy people in the news, though–the teachers- or artists-to-be who live frustrating lives because they’ve chosen a different career in order to make more money and pay more bills.

It gives me a lot of hope to see that people are developing these DNA tests.  It gives me a lot of hope to read about doctors and lawyers who contribute their time and effort to other people who normally wouldn’t be able to afford their services.  I’m hopeful when I see people holding doors open, picking up trash, helping someone else carry something.  We humans have a wonderful ability to help others, and there are plenty of us out there who are making just that their most important goal.  I only hope that I’m able to live up to my potential when it comes to contributing something positive to the lives of others–and I think that if I make that a major focus of mine, then I most certainly will live up to that potential.

 You give but little when you give of your possessions.
It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.
Khalil Gibran