"Do you think, because I am poor, obscure, plain and little,
I am soulless and heartless? You think wrong!"
Charlotte Bronte
A career in social services offered opportunities to be exposed to both individuals and families who were emotionally distraught and physically exhausted. There were incidents working with wealthier families who suffered the same emotional, physical, and spiritual abuse as those who were homeless.
Abuse of any kind is not singularly occurring in lower class or immigrant families. It stretches across status levels, ethnic components, and cultures. We prefer to associate inappropriate behaviors with those who are most unlike us or those who we know less about, so we can distance ourselves creating a false sense of security.
The wealthier or the more power one has, the more layers of protection to hide deviant transactions. Unfortunately respecting professionals is ingrained in us just as distaste for those struggling in poverty. We tend to have a built in sense of elevated respect for peers while undeserved judgment of less fortunate is bountiful. Life and career experience have taught me to recognize and respect a heart with integrity, no matter how it is encased. Titles, badges, and profit can hide abhorrent behaviors and distract us from individual deviance. A person with little or nothing, may have a higher sense of integrity and a soul more true.
No comments:
Post a Comment