Philanthropy Milanthropy

Just got to Granada, which is a cute little village in Nicaragua. Today I met a cool group of people and had a pretty good conversation with them. One of the girls that I was talking to began to casually tell me about how she saw some kids earlier that were hungry so she bought a bunch of food and had a picnic with them. She was obviously proud of it and brought it up a couple of times in the conversation.

My initial reaction is skeptism about the actual benevolence of her actions. It really started to seem to me like the best thing about her doing this good deed was the ability to tell about it afterward. This may or may not be the case. But the question it really raises for me is if it matters.

One person donates millions of dollars to a charity because of the tax benefits. Another person doesn´t donate anything because they don´t feel compelled to. I want to say that what matters most is the outcome - and no matter how corrupt the motive, the person that donated money actually made a difference. I do think this is highly important, but not so sure how it makes me feel in the scheme of things.

Before the summer began, I contemplated doing a long vacation somewhere. What better way to do a vacation and really get to know a country, I thought to myself, than to volunteer at the same time? It seemed to be a wonderful idea to head to Somolia and feed children or to Guatamala to help the homeless.

My plans didn´t happen for other reasons, but in the midst of this thought process, I wasn´t comfortable with something and I´m not sure how justified this discomfort is. This dilimna questions of the motives of Abraham Lincoln, who could have fought for the abolishment of slavery because free blacks could benefit his private business operations. Or Nelson Mandela, who´s possible motive in the struggle against apartheid was not as selfless as the suspected elimination disenfranchisement to his fellow people, but due to the fact that his own ego was supressed.

Does it really matter that are motives, when uncovered on a deeper level, are selfish and discieving? Is it better to let a problem exist than improve it for reasons that we would be too embarrassed to admit?

I´m not sure. I would rather the motive and the philanthropy happen simultaneously. I would love even more to continue pretending that this is the case, as most people seem to do.

The Dog

I´m in Nicaragua right now. The other day I saw a dog sitting in front of his owner´s house. He smiled at me and I smiled back. It was the wierdest thing ever.

Things Markita Hates/Likes

It occured to me that, in my everyday life, there are various things that really bother me. But to not be negative, I've decided I need to try to couple these with things that I like as well. (I really don't lean toward negativity -- there's just something particularly profound about realizing you hate things. Try it.)

The list starts here.

Things Markita likes:

1. Really nice people
The other day, my friends and I were coming back from Caribana and were in traffic to get on the freeway. A couple to the left of us lightly honks at us, rolls down their window, and asks if they can get in front of me so that they can make the next right turn. I reply "Sure, no problem" and they smile and say, "Thank you, that's really nice of you."

It is, in itself, the most mundane exchange ever. But something about their pleasant attitude and courtesy really struck me. I mean, there's nothing wrong with the person that simply honks and points to the front of you - that's I what I do. However, to roll the window down and ask, and then compliment me on simply allowing what any other decent human being would allow, is exceptionally polite. In 2 minutes, they made my day.

Things Markita hates:


1. Cold
Everything cold. I seem to have no appreciation for anything less than 70 degrees F. In fact, I am in love with hot. I like being hot and I love hot weather. So it sometimes makes me angry that everywhere I go it's so damn cold. And I know I know...I grew up in Michigan and should be used to it. For some reason, this response is the first thing out of people's mouths. People's body temperatures don't change for living in cold weather. I didn't notice I hated cold weather as a kid, but now that I do, winters get worse every year.

But it's not the winters that piss me off so much either. What pisses me off is the summers that don't seem to understand the rules. Or the vacations that don't quite get why I'm on them. I went to Greece a month ago, and even though it was 2 of the best weeks of my life, I hated that I sat on the beach with a hooded jacket on. Last summer, I lived in Portland and they probably had like a week over 90 degrees and the rest was under 80. Check me out hiding (behind Harry's hairy leg)
in my usual beach attire -- cold as hell!

And why is it that movie theaters, malls, restaurants, office buildings...actually everyone thinks that its a good idea to freeze the people that are in their establishment? Why do I wear sweaters in the summer just as often as in the winter simply because I can't stand the goose bumps that form on my bare arms whenever I step inside a building? I would think that these people would want to save costs and turn the air down.

At the moment we have 90 degree weather in Detroit and I'm probably the only one that's not complaining. And trust me, it takes a lot to get me to complain about the heat....you won't hear it.

The Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria

I'm currently in Washington, DC and it's really been an awesome trip. I've been to DC a number of times - 2 of those occasions was as a tourist. I did the whole Mall thing and saw the Capitol Hill/Union Station/Washington Monument blah blah blah deal like most tourists do. The pic is me in front of the reflection pond...Forest! Jenny


But I must say, this time was the first time that I cared at all. I was very deeply moved at the Lincoln Memorial. And seeing the Changing of the Guards at the Arlington Cemetary was phenomenal....

But I had a thought at one point. The tour guide was telling us about how the three rings around the Union Station (or something like that) represent the three ships that Columbus sailed to the U.S., "and those three ships were (let's say it together) The Nina, the Pinta, and The Santa Maria." And I found myself saying it right along with him.

Why the hell is some portion of my brain being utilized for such uselessness??? I really sat and thought how I can benefit from such information. It probably won't make anyone any money, save any lives, provide any source of comfort for anyone -- nothing. Yet I know it. So many of us do. But do we all know the basis of the platforms for the current presidential candidates? Are we well-informed of what's going on in global politics? Some of us know it all. But really, most of us are pretty clueless on a lot of subject matters that actually have some importance.

I can sum all this up with a point and go on to talk about how our school systems are ass-backward and our priorities are all messed up. But really, I just wanted to rant about the fact that I'm pissed off that I am the beholder of such useless historical facts.