Everyday, I connect with people all over the world, and everyday we only see images of one another. The truth is I hate suits, and I don’t always have a big, toothy grin.
Perhaps, you spend your mornings running around your house in your bathrobe and slippers, chasing your kids. Maybe you make business calls before your morning shower or tweet from your smart phone while lying in bed. But the truth is, just like me, you don’t wake up as beautiful as your picture suggests.
Last night, I volunteered for a homeless ministry in Temecula, CA called Project Touch. The dinner wasn’t served at a shelter; it was served in a church parking lot. And once a week, as a way to give back, the “clients,” as they’re called, maintain the church grounds.
After dinner, many of the “clients” find solace in transitional housing in nearby apartments or a local motel. And every morning they look for employment. A few of them, who continue to need help with housing, have jobs. And all of them, whether employed or not, are expected to give a little financially each month.
The “clients” of Project Touch are not self-serving. They are not looking for hand-outs. They are not “bums” or “whinos.” They want jobs. They want their homes back. They want their lives back. They are productive members of society, who refuse to allow society to cast them aside.
If we allow social media to become about maintaining images of ourselves, and not as a way to make this a better world, we’ve lost our humanity and allowed the machines to win.
Stay social, my friends!
Erick
