Small Things Count

To all my readers and friends:  I wish you a very happy Hanukkah for the remainder of the 8 days!

To my non-Jewish readers and friends: Hanukkah is a wonderful celebration.  I like one of it’s names, “The Festival of Lights,” both for the history behind the name and for the joyous picture it calls to mind.  If you don’t know what this ages-old, 8-day holiday is about, you’re missing something.  Go to Hanukkah 2020: When it is and what to know (no, it’s not the ‘Jewish Christmas’) and read about this significant, family (in every sense)-oriented celebration.  It’s a breath of fresh air in our troubled world.

The political world has been too anger- and ulcer-producing recently.  We need to laugh at ourselves a little to reduce the stress.  Here’s a quick look at some laws we’ve passed to solve or prevent some potentially dangerous (?) situations.

I remember the quiet stillness of the place and the visitors. We were awed in this sacred place. We felt the tremendous loss of the the families of those who died, especially those who still lay buried beneath us in their watery graves. We were overcome by the stupidity, the waste, the inhumanity of the act and the war we were part of afterwards. The ferry ride back from the monuments was totally silent as we were all deep in thought.

Did the experience affect me? Obviously, since it’s still vivid after 25 years.

One huge roadblock for many people trying to find jobs is weak reading and writing skills. Both are vital on the employment application and resume, where lack of basic proficiency relegates you immediately to the waste basket.  Once on the job, those skills are needed during training and orientation sessions, for responding to written questions and instructions (especially in this modern email world), and dealing with all sorts of job-related paperwork, from estimates to invoices.

You can help people get and keep a job–become a volunteer tutor for English-speaking adults who read or write below a 9^th-grade level. If you’d rather work with families, volunteer at programs like my local library’s Families for Literacy program. All you need is a willing heart and a little time, because the library or organization will train you.

Finding a job is hard enough in this economy without the burden of being labeled illiterate. Help give job-seekers a fighting chance.

Why can’t the world be at peace? Today’s Thursday Thought quote points out how simple it could be.