macular degeneration, macular, diagnosis First Link on the Chain of Kindness – My Macular Degeneration Journey/Journal

First Link on the Chain of Kindness

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“From each according to his ability, to each according to his need.” – Karl Marx

I thought that was from the Communist Manifesto. It appears it is not. It is from the Critique of the Gotha Programme…..Huh?….Nope. No clue. I could probably look it up and give you a full critique of the Critique, but that is too much like work and I rather doubt most of you are all that interested.

What made me think of Marx and his quote – other than my mind works in really weird ways! – was a comment Lin made. She said many people in the Facebook group are concerned about their independence.

I was right there with you folks. There are times I am still right there with you. I would love to be able to drive and have all the freedom that brings. However, as my husband pointed out to me the other day, just about the only thing I have given up is driving. I still work. I still exercise. I still socialize. I get the job done with a few new tools and a little help from my community.

Community – Communism. Like I said, my mind works in strange ways.

These days it is not so much I am independent as I am interdependent. Interdependence is the dependence of two or more things or people upon each other. From each according to his ability. To each according to his need. If you think about it, that is exactly the way a community is supposed to work.

The other week I paid for a young lady’s skiing. I wanted to go and she could get me there. Her problem was money. My ride home from school is devout but knows little about the Bible she has started to read. I am not devout, but know more than she about the Testaments. We sometimes do a Bible study on the way home. I need a ride and she wants the information. (Proving the old saying that even the devil can cite Scripture?)

And it does not have to be a direct exchange. Sometimes I ‘pay’ the people doing something for me by doing something for someone else. Passing on the favor is a great way to improve your day as well as the world. You might even want to pay it forward and do something for someone who has never done anything for you just ‘because’.

Start the chain of kindness and be the first link.

Which brings up another thought: I suspect many of you are of a ‘certain age’. I also suspect many of you have done for your community for some time. Don’t forget you just may have a positive balance in your community account. It is alright to occasionally make a withdrawal.

Perhaps what I am saying is, to a certain extent, independence is a delusion. We have all always been interdependent. With a vision loss, you just become more so.

How can you contribute to your community? What do you need from your community? From each according to his ability. To each according to his need. Together it really is possible to maintain lives worth living. Support one another. Take the support you need.

Next: coming soon!

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