Obama's been re-elected! So that's good news. I don't really know too much about American politics, but I know enough about Romney to know that I definitely didn't want him to possess as much power as President of the United States gives you. The possibility of him being President actually frightened me a little bit, so yeah, I'm pretty pleased with the decision America made last night. Election campaigns always seem to last about a million years as well, so I'm glad it's over for another four years.
Anyway, it's cold. Have you been outside recently? It's so cold. Yesterday I went into town to get a headstart on my Christmas shopping. I was stopped by a paid charity worker for Shelter who asked if I'd send a one-off text donation, which I was happy to do, and he mentioned how cold he was, which made me feel really sorry for him. It's got to be a hard job, standing around in the cold, trying to convince people who really don't want to be bothered into spending a fiver of their credit. And at least the guy who I spoke to was in a paid position, it's got to be so stressful if you work on commission. It got me wondering about how charitable I actually am. Usually when I'm in town I actively try to avoid the people fundraising in the streets because I have a really hard time saying no to people, and sometimes I feel like I'm being bullied into it which I hate. I think for me to stop and listen it really depends on what kind of mood I'm in, how much of a rush I'm in, and whether I'm on my own or with someone else. I think it depends on how I'm approached as well. For instance, yesterday I was asked by a slightly miserable looking lady if I wanted to help Dog's Trust, and I said, 'Not today thanks,' and carried on walking, although feeling a bit guilty. Whereas the man from Shelter had a big smile on his face and asked if I could spare 30 seconds, and I decided that yes, I could.
I don't really have any answers for why sometimes I'll stop and sometimes I won't, and I'm afraid that I am guilty of sometimes crossing over to the opposite side of the street just to avoid being stopped, but I don't like feeling obligated to donate or something and as soon as you stop, you pretty much are. But then again I do donate money to friends quite a lot when they need sponsoring, especially if it's Race for Life or something. I just like to give what I want, when I want, without people trying to pressurise me into it, because I think charitable giving is a pretty personal thing.
That's just a few of my thoughts on the matter anyway. I do tend to feel more charitable at this time of year as well, probably because it's cold and I appreciate the fact that I live comfortably and I'm pretty thankful for that!
Song of the Day: Classy Girls by The Lumineers
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