Thursday, May 30, 2013

Dobri Dobrev a 98 year old who inspires the world






98 year old Dobri Dobrev, a man who lost most of his hearing in the second world war, has traveled 25 kilometers every day for decades from his village in his homemade clothes and leather shoes to the city of Sofia - a trip he made by foot until recently - where he spends the day begging for money.

Though a well recognized fixture around several of the city’s churches, known for his prostrations of thanks to all donors, it was only recently discovered that he has donated every penny he has collected — over 40,000 euros — towards the restoration of decaying Bulgarian monasteries and churches and the utility bills of orphanages, living entirely off his monthly state pension of 80 euros and the kindness of others.

The first two paragraphs and the pic came from awkward situationist in tumblr. I'm bored out of my wits and browsing random blogs when I came across this. My initial reaction was, of course doubt. I don't know but I doubt things that I read in social media, especially posts in Facebook. I mean, people are making up stuff just so they can share a post in Facebook that everyone would like. So I did some more reading and found out that this is legit. And just to correct what was written in the first paragraph, he is not begging for money. He is simply collecting money for a cause.

If this story didn't touch you at all, you are heartless! I am not sure about you but I am shamed by this. I am not exactly what you can call rich but I am not poor either. Lets say I have more than enough but nothing close to those on the "rich" bracket. But thinking about it, how much have I actually shared/given to others? I know most of you reading this have a lot more than this old man but hasn't come close to thinking about reaching out to the less fortunate may it be through a charity or your own churches. I have given donations to typhoon victims constantly but that is because donating was just a text away. I wouldn't have to walk 10 kilometers to do it. And even when I give, I still enjoy drinking my beer, eating overpriced pizza and watching movies in 3D. Very few Christians understand that a life truly dedicated to Christ has no room for that 55 inch LED TV. I am a horrible Christian, but I try to do good each day. I envy those who have chosen to forgo all forms of materialism living peacefully below their means and just sharing what they have in excess. What drives man to be like this? Are some people born to be inherently good?

I am not a religious man. I do not go to church on Sundays but I believe in the Christian God. I believe that helping people in need is everyone's responsibility. Which brings me to a very important observation. People in the Philippines are now reluctant at helping others. Why? Because more often than not, people on the streets asking for help are con artists. They're everywhere and the sad thing about it is, you cannot really tell who the real people in need are. I met an old lady asking for help on her grand daughter's medical bills, I met a man with a wife suffering from cancer, A mother and child who needs money for their fare and so on. Ever had an experience where you wanted to say "Shut up and take my money" not because you are rude but because you do not want to hear about their stories of suffering? You simply cannot imagine yourself in their shoes. I get that feeling a lot and I can say, I get conned a lot.

I might sound like I am righteous but I assure you I am not. I have sinned a lot with a magnitude you won't be able to believe and for that I am not proud or worthy to be really called a Christian. My true intention in posting this here is to ask each and everyone who would be able to read this to open our hearts and share what we have. We're not all going to be like Dobri, but if everyone could just do good for themselves, their families and others, then I think we'd be better off than we are now. The Philippines is in dire need of goodness. Okay, not just us, but the whole world.

The full article on Dobri Dobrev here

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