[A letter that was shared on the Forest Call today. --Neil]

The last point has in one shape or another stuck in my mind for much of my adult years. As I’ve gotten less ignorant, I’ve come to question whether this is an ideal existence. Sure, I am rich and comfortable, but what about the other half of the world who survives on less than $2 a day? More generally, I was concerned that I would be working for my own comforts and leaving behind multitudes. What’s the good of that? Early on in my life I came to realize that if something makes me happy but those around me are not, then I’m not as happy.
 
Everyone should be entitled to happiness, the same happiness that I’ve enjoyed in my life. To me, this is the essential motivation for social work. I want to come up, but I don’t want to come up alone, and certainly not at the expense of pushing down others. I want my success to be tied to the common man, even the poor man. If I am to live in a big house, so be it; but if I have that level of wealth, I damn well better have lifted up hundreds or even thousands of others in the process commensurately. I think this is similar to the idea of CEO’s tying their raise/bonus to the pay increase given to the company’s average worker. I like that idea.
 
But there’s something more. To me, it’s not sufficient to lift up just anyone. I commend entrepreneurs who generate economy, generate livelihoods through their ingenuity and foresight and creativity. I aspire to be such a person. But my ‘workforce’ has to be the poorest, or as close to the poorest as possible. I will strive to work for the poorest man until I finally reach out to him. I suspect that this will keep me occupied enough to never actually achieve the big house dream; If I’ve reached it, I’ll know I probably haven’t reached down deep enough.
 
I feel that this is a life worth living, and though it’s scary, I have very little doubt that the alternative, i.e. turn my back and work for my own big house and fancy car, will never suffice. I will not judge others on this choice, because I understand that decision since it was what I had in mind for most of my life. But I am resolved to not resort to it, and pray to God that I have strength to carry beyond.
 
"Whenever you are in doubt or when the self becomes too much with you, try the following experiment: Recall the face of the poorest and most helpless person you have ever seen and ask yourself if the step you contemplate is going to be for any use to him or to her . . . Then you will find your doubts and your self melting away.” --Gandhi