A helping hand.

Title: A Helping Hand

Author: this blog

Characters : Lion and person

Lion: ROOOOARRR ROWR Ro-Ro-ROAR (I am really really not having a great time and I could use some help, like a hand, a helping hand. I am struggling.) ROAR.

Person: Hey lion. I can help. What do you need? Can I lend a hand? That is unfortunate you are struggling.

Lion: Roar. (That would be great. I could sure use some help. Come in.)

Person: (walks into lion’s den) So lion, what’s going on? What can I do?

Lion: Roooo-ar (Well, I could really use a hand)

Person: OK….. Owwwwwwch.

Lion: Nom-nom-nom (hand tastes good)

OK, I know. Sooo wrong. Sooo very wrong. But it’s been in my head for a couple weeks now and I finally decided to go for it and post it. But I know, soooo wrong.

Now if I were my own best friend I would say there a few lessons to be learned here from lion and person –

• Lion might be kind of a jerk (or maybe lion’s not ready for help).
• Lion asks for help but maybe lion really just wanted to take advantage of some person’s good nature and eat their hand (jerk).
• Or, lion asked for help but did not really want help or was not ready for help. Sometimes asking for help and then receiving it is a big scary step. Sometimes you might want to be a lion out on the plains doing your own lion-thing and not need anyone else for anything else. Freedom and dependence on no one. But here is the thing about being human – we need other people. We need community.
• Sometimes we need help.
• Person might not be very bright (or very committed to helping).
• Don’t offer a hand unless you are willing to truly give a hand (to a lion).
• Think about what you are offering and make sure you are not being taken advantage of (by a lion or a jerk).
• But also do not offer to help someone unless you really mean it – usually offering help does not mean literally giving your hand but sometimes it means giving up time or money or both and you have to be ready for that.
• Sometimes we need to offer help. 

So basically it comes down to this. If you need help, ask for it, and be ready to accept help if someone offers up. And if you answer the call for help be ready to step up and provide. Don’t be a jerk and take advantage of people who are trying to help. Be honest. Be present. Be human. Be helpful.