Little acts of charity can go a long way

Kalan Porter, Calgary Herald
Published: Sunday, December 18, 2005

I'm a hypocrite. I sat down this week with the task of writing an inspirational, heartfelt message encouraging Herald readers to give generously to those in need this holiday season.

After a paragraph or two, I sat back rather satisfied with myself and read my insightful prose worthy of a Christmas card. My article sounded quite "nice," including an explanation of the true meaning of Christmas and an embellished account of my encounter with a homeless man in downtown Toronto.

I pictured Herald readers sitting with their Sunday morning coffee commenting, "He seems like a nice, young man," and, for a moment, I felt content. I had accomplished my good deed for the month.

But as I read it over again, something hit me. I am a hypocrite. My one or two seasonal acts of kindness do not exactly make me an authority on giving. I decided that before I write any more, I should go out and take action.

As I left my apartment on my quest to "pay it forward," I anticipated the great rush I would experience after giving so selflessly. Plan 1 was to simply make an effort to smile at a stranger, maybe even throw in a "Merry Christmas."

So I began greeting everyone I passed. After numerous attempts that resulted in only a few forced smiles and some confused glares, I moved to Plan 2 -- give to a charity.

My opportunity arose a few minutes later when I saw an elderly man with bells collecting change on a street corner. I fumbled with a few dollars in my pocket and prepared myself for his approving, appreciative smile. I dropped the change in the plastic bin, making sure it made a loud clink as it hit the bottom.

I looked up feeling somewhat fulfilled, but was suddenly caught off guard. The man had not seen me. In fact, he continued to stare off in the other direction.

Feeling especially let down, I turned and walked back to my apartment. I sat down again with my pen and paper, still annoyed by this anti-climactic turn of events. I had followed all the steps in the "Idiots Guide to Giving" and still felt I had made no difference.

In the whole scheme of things, my little contribution was insignificant. In a world with problems so complex and overwhelming, what good are a smile and a toonie?

Then something hit me -- maybe this whole giving thing isn't at all about world peace and global change. Maybe it's more about the small things, the things that go unnoticed, the seemingly unsuccessful attempts to make a difference. We can't all be Mother Teresas.

I sat back down and started to write with renewed conviction. Maybe giving isn't all about trying to change the world. Maybe it's simply about showing a callous and cynical world that it can't change us.

Please give to the Calgary Herald Christmas Fund this season.

_________________________________
Kalan Porter, 2004's Canadian Idol winner, is a fifth-generation Albertan who grew up on a ranch near Medicine Hat. His first album, 219 Days, has gone double platinum.

He is now working on his next album, which will be released in the spring.
© The Calgary Herald 2005