Karma chameleon

Ok, I won't pretend to know what karma chameleon means, but I like Culture Club, and at least karma fits in with this post, so there ya go. Shout out to 1984!! When I was like 3 years old, but hey, the music lives on man.

ANYways, you can call it "Karma", call it "what goes around comes around", call it "reaping what you sow".... the concept is fairly popular in our culture. Sometimes in jest, and sometimes in "OH,let my good deeds outweigh the bad and please lead me to salvation" seriousness.

I joke with my kids about it sometimes. For instance I tell my toddler to please come here so I can put on their shoes, and they run away from me gleefully laughing, until *smack* they run into the wall. They immediately come to me for comfort and I say laughing "now what was that?"
The child wails between sniffles, "that was my kaaaaaarrrrrrma" *sniff*


In all seriousness though, recently in church the pastor was talking about generosity and having a good heart and a giving nature, and no matter your religious affiliation, to me that sounds like a good way to be. Generosity gives so much more than we think. It gives faith in mankind, trust in relationships, hope to the downtrodden, and a desire to do more for each other in this selfish nation. And I do believe that it opens us up for good things, or at least puts us in a state of heightened awareness, to actually notice the good things that happen to us. After all, it's really difficult to accept a gift when your own hands are balled in a tightwad's fist.

On a local radio station, they've been sending listeners out with hundred dollar bills to reward regular people who do something nice....letting someone go in front of you at the grocery store for example. The intent is to spread hope in a time of uncertainty, to recognize people who are kind without an agenda, to encourage a community to not just look to ourselves and our families in a time of need, but to look around.

A few weeks ago, immediately after picking my car up from the tow yard, I was driving around, feeling pretty good. I passed an elderly homeless man, a veteran according to his cardboard sign, who walked with a limp and a cane. I've been known to give to the homeless before. Usually $5. I don't know if the money will be spent for food or drugs or coffee or alcohol, but I hope whatever it is, will help ease their suffering, because god knows they're suffering.
I gave this man a 20 dollar bill. It seemed like kind of a lot to just give away, but in reality, it's less than I make in one hour. I wanted to shake his hand and know his name, the most basic of human encounters, but he wouldn't meet my eyes... perhaps his shame was too great. I'm not under any illusions that my 20 bucks changed this man's lifestyle, but perhaps in the smallest of ways, it helped change his life. Never underestimate the power of a kindness.

Less than a half an hour later, the place where I took my car to be washed, gave me the $27 car wash for free, and not 10 minutes after that, I bought a $3 scratcher and won another 20. Call it coincidence, call it karma, call it god rewarding my generosity twofold. I say there is kindness and generosity everywhere, recognize it, spread it, encourage it. Everyone has something to give, you only think you don't.