Today is Blog Action Day, a concerted effort by bloggers world-wide to raise awareness of a topic that affects us all. I must admit, when I first heard that this year’s topic was poverty, I was a wee bit apprehensive. What could I possibly say about being poor that would have any meaning? 

I’m a middle-class American. Like the vast majority of my neighbors, I’ve watched in horror as the economy dropped the floor writhing these last few days. But though I’m worried about the hit my 401(k) has taken, and the sky-high cost of everything from Twinkies to heating oil, I can still buy both. I have a roof over my head, get three squares a day, and have enough paying work to maintain my lifestyle. When I think of poverty, I see visions of the homeless who stand sentinel at every busy street corner around town, pleading with cardboard signs. It would take a single, strong shove to put me and my family in their position. So why don’t I worry about it? In a word: others.

We’re All Family

Each of us is born chained at the ankle to everyone else. Americans are in love with the notion of the rugged individual, the brave pioneer who strikes off across the plains, reliant on no one but himself. It’s a myth, people. There isn’t a soul on the planet who doesn’t owe their continued existence to everyone around them. Ironically, the earliest settlers to American shores wouldn’t have lasted the winter if not for the help of natives who took pity on them. There are no self-made men, no bootstraps strong enough to pull yourself up if you aren’t steadied by someone else’s hands. In a nervous moment when fantasies of worldwide depression run away with my thoughts, this is what calms me; I have family, I have friends, and banded together we would find a way to survive. But what if I were alone?

Make Eye Contact

There’s no loneliness like being an outsider. On a few occasions when traveling in another country, I’ve had a glimpse of what it’s like to not speak the language, to be unfamiliar with the customs, to be looked at with a cold stare—or worse, not be seen at all. It’s not a feeling I would wish on anyone. And yet when I pull up to one of those busy intersections, I often lock my gaze on the traffic light, the dashboard, looking anywhere but into the hungry eyes of the bent old man hobbling along the median strip.

It’s sounds simplistic, but the first step in easing poverty is acknowledging it. Humans are social animals; we thrive on contact with others, and wither without it. When I look away from someone in need, it’s because I feel helpless. I can’t solve their problems with a dollar, and I don’t have the resources to become a philanthropist. Too often, I neglect the one thing I can give: inclusion. A nod, a smile, a word—even if it’s sorry—helps remind both of us that we’re in this together. It won’t fix everything, but it’s a start.

Grab a Bucket

The recent economic woes have reminded us that everything and everyone is connected. At times like this, trouble is like wildfire, spreading from treetop to treetop until the whole forest is ablaze. But that same connectedness that can bring us all down can lift us, too. A single person with a bucket isn’t going to douse the fire, but a line of us handing buckets along has a fighting chance.

So what bucket can we pass? We can find a cause that’s dear to us and we can give—money if we have it, time if we don’t. Come to think of it, even if we do have the funds to donate, that’s no reason not to give our time as well. Modern life is carefully structured to allow us the illusion of living in our own little bubbles, blissfully unaware of the world outside. Just writing this post has made me realize how little of my own time and energy I devote to those outside my bubble. I know there are groups out there who could put my talents to good use, and it’s time for me to go find them.

Douse. Repeat.

If you’re already doing something to improve the situation of those around you, we all owe you our thanks. If you feel like you could be doing more, don’t let the sheer weight of what needs doing crush you. Find your niche, no matter how small, and make a difference. For my part, I pledge to find an organization or group that needs a pair of hands, and lend them mine. After all, none of us can truly fly until everyone can walk.