In the Service of Life Review
IN THE SERVICE OF LIFE
Rachel Naomi Remen's perception on serving, helping and fixing are understandable but I can't say that I agree with her sentiments. What I agree with most is when she says "When I fix a person I perceive them as broken." I think naturally when someone explains to you that they have fixed something, they assume you have fixed something that was broken or not quite right since it needed repair. I do not however always agree that when you fix something or someone you are judging. When you have people who have needed fixing themselves and then when they are "whole" have the opportunity to "fix" someone else, a lot of people find it humbling and are grateful for the opportunity to pay it forward. I personally do not like the word "fix". I feel that to say someone needed to be "fixed" or more so that YOU "fixed" them is showing a great deal of impertinence.
Remen's views on serving and helping are to me very one sided. I completely disagree with her when she says that "helping is based on inequality." I myself have never felt above or below someone when I was helping them. Remen says that "When you help you use your own strength to help someone of lesser strength." I feel like she is not only using the word help as a one sided word but also based on one instance i.e. {I helped my neighbor carry the groceries}. If you help someone prepare the table, are you stronger than them? One person who is completely adequate of preparing a table but you just had the heart to help out and so you did. Where is the inequality there? Remen says "When you help you see life as weak." When I help someone I am satisfied because I like feeling useful and if in my helping them I give them some sense of relief, It makes me feel good knowing that I was able to give some type of ease in someone's life. I see helping someone as an act of kindness and I believe kindness is good for the heart and soul.
I do agree with Remen when she says "we serve with ourselves".
Rachel Naomi Remen's perception on serving, helping and fixing are understandable but I can't say that I agree with her sentiments. What I agree with most is when she says "When I fix a person I perceive them as broken." I think naturally when someone explains to you that they have fixed something, they assume you have fixed something that was broken or not quite right since it needed repair. I do not however always agree that when you fix something or someone you are judging. When you have people who have needed fixing themselves and then when they are "whole" have the opportunity to "fix" someone else, a lot of people find it humbling and are grateful for the opportunity to pay it forward. I personally do not like the word "fix". I feel that to say someone needed to be "fixed" or more so that YOU "fixed" them is showing a great deal of impertinence.
Remen's views on serving and helping are to me very one sided. I completely disagree with her when she says that "helping is based on inequality." I myself have never felt above or below someone when I was helping them. Remen says that "When you help you use your own strength to help someone of lesser strength." I feel like she is not only using the word help as a one sided word but also based on one instance i.e. {I helped my neighbor carry the groceries}. If you help someone prepare the table, are you stronger than them? One person who is completely adequate of preparing a table but you just had the heart to help out and so you did. Where is the inequality there? Remen says "When you help you see life as weak." When I help someone I am satisfied because I like feeling useful and if in my helping them I give them some sense of relief, It makes me feel good knowing that I was able to give some type of ease in someone's life. I see helping someone as an act of kindness and I believe kindness is good for the heart and soul.
I do agree with Remen when she says "we serve with ourselves".