“Everybody wants to save the earth; nobody wants to help mom do the dishes.” That
line from satirist P.J. O’Rourke in “All the Trouble in the World” applies to the 2022 World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland, where high-ranking government officials and elites
gathered to discuss climate change. Thousands of them arrived via high-polluting private jets, prompting an outcry from environmentalists.
Here, I suppose, we might recast O’Rourke’s witticism as “Everybody wants to save the Earth, but nobody wants to take the train.” Adding to the delicious hilarity of this hypocrisy is the fact that this swarm of luxury jets buzzing in and out of Davos has drawn
criticism in past years as well, marking our grand poohbahs as slow learners.
We find this same big-picture humbug in the promises and programs of politicians. They put forth grand and expensive schemes to abolish poverty, revamp our failing educational system, or protect us from a virus, but few of them are willing to stand over that sink of dishes. They’ll fund soup kitchens galore, but you won’t find that gang scrubbing pots and pans.
On the other end of the spectrum are those who encourage us to walk a path where we truly can make a difference. In a
meme, teacher John Perricone relates that he invited a Buddhist monk to speak to his senior elective class. The monk entered the classroom and without saying a word went straight to the board and wrote out O’Rourke’s words about saving the earth and doing the dishes. The class laughed, and then the monk explained that while it was unlikely any of them would ever rescue a child from a burning orphanage, they had opportunities every day to show kindness and respect to those around them. “In the smallest gesture of kindness,” he said, “you have committed an act of immeasurable profundity.”
Sometimes these gestures are profound indeed. In the article “
5 Acts of Kindness That Changed History,” HistoryExtra editor Elinor Evans writes of the American Jesse Owens, four-time gold medalist at Nazi Germany’s 1936 Berlin Olympics. Though he was the world record holder in the long jump, Owens twice missed the mark in that event, thereby risking elimination. One of his competitors, German athlete and European champion “Luz” Long, advised Owens to adjust his run-up to the mark. Owens did so and won first place and a gold medal, with Long placing second. Later, Owens praised Long for his friendship and kindness and credited him for the win.
Most of us won’t win a gold medal, in the Olympics or elsewhere, and no human being will save the earth—if in fact the planet needs saving—but every one of us has the ability to polish up our corner of the world. One of the greatest advocates of this approach was a nun,
Therese of Lisieux (1873–1897). In her short life, Therese spoke and wrote of “the little way,” a commitment to everyday tasks while showing respect and love to the people we encounter in our daily lives. Today, her autobiography “The Story of a Soul” and the example of her life continue to inspire people of all faiths, who apply the principles of the little way to their own lives.
This philosophy of taking care of the small things and making an effort to improve the world around us brings comradery in the workplace, harmony to the home, and comfort to friends and strangers alike. We need our dreamers, our visionaries and creators who point us to the stars, but they too best succeed when they keep the common touch.
So let’s roll up our sleeves and get to those dishes.
