Altruism: Difficult to implement I know but worth trying all the same!

By Stanley Collymore

Please forgive me but I’m not in any way trying to put a

damper on your good deeds, question, undermine or

minimize in any sense your act of altruism to me

nor am I being ungrateful for, or in the least

unappreciative of what, of your own free

will, you’ve most kindly done. But try

to understand when I say that the kind of conduct

which you’ve so graciously, quite magnificently

and voluntarily extended towards me is by far

removed from what I’ve customarily been

used to or, for that matter, could logically

or realistically have ever expected from

those I habitually come across on an

everyday basis, are frequently and

for my lack of a more appropriate

expression are daily around me. However despite

all that and without any kind of narcissistic fuss

or hubristic trumpet-blowing fanfare on your

part, your perceptible kindness to me a total

stranger to you in every possible way, has

none the less been quietly, together with

the utmost of care and compassion, no

concessions claimed for any of your

actions, or anything at all required

or awaited in return; carried out

with what’s visibly from your

heart a most superlative and

the ultimate act of altruism:

you gave me the chance to

physically live life again!

© Stanley V. Collymore

26 October 2016.

Author’s Remarks:

When I was five years old during one of her customary mentoring sessions with me my esteemed familial as well as categorically so within her own community maternal Grandmother lovingly - from birth I was always her specific favourite – told me that to become financially rich through one’s honest endeavours was neither a sin nor something that I should ever consciously derive any shame about or for that matter have anyone make me feel that way. However, she quickly added that I shouldn’t obsess about money or other materialistic things or possessions, since I had brought none of them into this world with me and it was an absolute certainty that when I eventually left this existence which was temporarily granted to me by the Almighty God I wouldn’t be able either to take any of these things, including those I’d acquired honestly, with me.

These sensible, practicable, encouraging as well as inspirational “commandments” of hers have unquestionably and desirably stood me in good stead throughout my life and additionally have also formed the basis on which I’ve always endeavoured to live it difficult as it undoubtedly is at times to do so, but even then I do my honest best not to depart from the core elements of them, for they are the fundamentals aspects not only of my upbringing but also how I essentially and continuously want to think, live my life and conduct myself in my dealings with others.

But living in what’s politically referred to as the west I absolutely know all too well from very personal experiences as well as everyday observances just how extremely difficult a task that can be and especially so in an environment consumed with greed and where money-grabbing machinations are the order of the day and an obsessive way of life. And acquiring wealth at any cost and regardless of who it actually rightfully belongs to, the disastrous impact, or come to that the traumatic effects that such brutish and covetous behaviour can and does have on those who are savagely affected and are enforcedly compelled to put up with what’s being done to them, are activities of mindboggling travesties of justice that are mindlessly and contemptuously inflicted by the already rich, privileged and the utterly delusional, in their sick minds, superior elements they conclude of humanity. All the more fool them since they’re nothing of the kind but are instead distinctly lowlife scum, white trash and detritus elements of whatever barbaric species that they actually belong to.

So in grateful appreciation for what she’s taught me as well as all the several mentors I likewise had throughout my childhood, youth and into manhood, an enormous “thank you” from me. And in addition to the loving dedication of this poem to all of you it also goes in that same vein to my German Partner, her family and our many close friends; politically to Jeremy Corbyn, John McDonnell and Diane Abbott; to you my regular readers; as well as the millions of conscionable people out there, and the truly unsound heroes I think all doing your level best to make this world a safer and better place.

And in the actual words of my Gran and which will forever stay burnished in my mind as long as I draw human breath: “Whatever you do in life Stanley always try to make this world a far better place than how it was when you first entered it!”

I sincerely hope that you can and will do too!