Knowledge without adversity

I just stumbled upon (not the search engine add on feature) this wonderful blogger and author extraordinaire, Alexandra Franzen, and this article about how she gives advice is one of the most powerful and meaningful things I've read in a long time. 

For years I have told myself that I hadn't struggled enough to relate to people. I am a white, college educated, employed person, living in one of the most expensive cities in the country. I've never been starving, or homeless and heck my parents are still married. But Ms. Franzen's article made me realize that I don't have to "go through" something to be able to help people with their problem. 

I once turned down a genuinely enthusiastic offer to go work with organizers against the coal industry in Appalachia because I thought my cushy, upper middle class, California life wouldn't be even remotely relatable to the coal miners who had made a living doing hard, dangerous, physical labor their entire lives. I thought I would be an unhelpful outsider because I had never been in their shoes. 

After reading Alexandra's article I realize, no one in the world has gone through exactly what I have gone through or has the exact gifts I have. This idea has been made popular on self help Tumblrs and in the Quotes section of Pinterest, but reading her article made it click. I've been picked on and hurt. I've experienced heartache, loss, disappointment and regret. I've been in situations where I felt small and voiceless. We all have.

Who knows what I could have offered those coal miners. Maybe just being a person who listened to their hardships and stories would have been welcome. Or maybe having a person who took the time to lobby their state representatives on their behalf, would have been meaningful. I have never worked in a coal mine or even known a person who did, but that doesn't mean I couldn't use my experience organizing volunteers or leading meetings to help those people. 

We all have gifts to give. Some come naturally and some come after we've gained some wisdom through hardship. From this day forward, I will never make my lack of "experience" a reason to stop myself from helping others.

You with me?