Stand by Mr. Stadnyk
In the old days, when someone developed a special problem, neighbors and friends would go to special lengths to help.
I just heard about a man who, last century, fell off a logging train and lost an arm and a leg, one right and one left. How this happened, exactly, I don’t even want to know. But it was heartening to hear that his small logging community built him a tavern, allowing him to remain productive for the rest of his days.
Nowadays we tend to look to government. And expect a check.
But that doesn’t mean that neighbors have stopped helping.
I just read about the Guinness World Records’ listing for the Tallest Man alive. He’s Leonid Stadnyk, who hails from a tiny Ukrainian village. At eight foot, five-and-a-half-inches tall, it’s not easy getting around. His legs have trouble carrying his weight. He can no longer hold a job, and his pension ain’t great.
So it’s heartening to read that a group of Ukrainian business people got together and chipped in to help Mr. Stadnyk. They bought him a satellite dish and a computer, so the man can lean, perhaps, just a bit on the Internet, too.
And hey: they did this before the Guiness people ever gave Mr. Stadnyk a place in the record book. When I think “local activism,†I’m usually just thinking about politics. But, you know, sometimes it just means helping neighbors out.
That’s something we can all find the time and money to do on our own.
This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.
