Giving Back

Answering the call of generosity

In one of his commencement speeches, Kurt Vonnegut said this to the freshly minted graduates: "You will find yourselves building or strengthening your communities. Please love that destiny, if it turns out to be yours - for communities are all that's substantial about the world."

When I consider the teachers, bosses, and other role models who made the biggest splash in my life, every one of them encouraged me to "give back." They didn't want me to do more for them, they wanted me to do more for myself so I could do more for others.

Why?

Because they knew that all the knowledge, power and fame meant nothing if we weren't building or strengthening our communities.

The question they asked, without saying it, but through their own example was, "How can you give back?"

My favorite boss of the many I had was Jim Moran, arguably the best car guy who ever lived. He was always encouraging his associates to find ways of giving back to drive stronger communities. Of all the organizations Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC partnered with, I chose to participate in the Take Stock In Children program. I experienced the joy of mentoring a young student named Stanley Pierre through his years in high school. Stanley graduated in 2010 and we remain friends today.

Jim Moran invited us to be better stewards of our communities and it transformed our personal lives and our neighborhoods.

Going back to my college days, my friend and teacher, Richard Goodwin, inspired his students to do food and clothing drives, volunteer at youth centers, and spend time with cancer patients at our local hospitals.

We were there to share connection, to share a sense of humanity. We were giving back. And it wasn't just for selfless reasons (how could it be?), or to win favor with our teacher.

We got something much more meaningful from these experiences. It was impossible not to feel a deep sense of fulfillment while helping a cancer patient write a letter to a loved one, or to share a laugh about something silly.

I didn't know it at the time, but Richard Goodwin and Jim Moran were exposing me and others to answering the call of generosity. It felt good. It felt meaningful. And the feeling was contagious. The more we got involved, the more others wanted to get involved.

Giving back helps us appreciate the power of humanity in a world lost in artificial intelligence and social media nonsense.

Back to Kurt Vonnegut and his commencement speech...

"Mark Twain, at the end of a profoundly meaningful life, for which he never received a Nobel Prize, asked himself what it was we all lived for. He came up with six words which satisfied him. They should satisfy you:

'The good opinion of our neighbors.'

"Neighbors are people who know you, can see you, can talk to you - to whom you may have been of some help or beneficial stimulation."

How Can We Give Back?

There are infinite ways of giving back to our communities. Giving back is an action-oriented, generous mindset. It means being open to opportunities to serve. And it requires some time and talent.

Time

We all have time, it's just a matter of priority. Set aside some time to volunteer somewhere where there's a need in your community.

Talent

We all have talents. What are you good at, or what do you enjoy doing? Writing? Working with children or the elderly? Animals? Aviation? Photography? Look for the needs in your community that resonate with your talents. There's always a need. You just have to find it and discover a way to get involved.

The Ripple Effect

Giving back creates a ripple effect. Building and strengthening our communities has the mystic ability of impacting us individually, our families, our communities, and our world. It opens the doors to human potential and possibility and it offers a meaningful return on investment: fulfillment.

All we have to do is answer the call of generosity.

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I’m Michael Kennedy, Olympic Valley, CA resident, married to Nicola Kennedy (in photo above). I’m a writer, photographer, lover of nature, and property caretaker. I just want to say thanks for your attention - I appreciate it in such a noisy world. If you enjoyed it, please share with others. It means a lot to me and it helps others see the story.

If you're interested in owning any photos in my gallery: click here, call or text me at 530.608.9150 with inquiries. My email: michael.kennedy999@gmail.com.