Half the Battle?

When I was a kid there was a popular cartoon that had a specific way it ended each episode. One of the main protagonists would offer up a quick (and very self-evident) observation while a befuddled child would stand there, amazed, as the following phrase was uttered, "Now you know, and knowing is half the battle." After hearing this life-altering revelation, I would finish my breakfast and amble outside to face the day armed with this secret knowledge straight from the lotus blossom.

Fast forward a few (okay...I'm being generous)  years later and I still am intrigued by the role knowledge and information plays in our lives. I saw the movie Argo this weekend and, because it is based on real events, I knew what was going to happen and how the tale would end. Regardless of what I knew, I still found myself becoming very tense while viewing situations in which I knew the inevitable outcome. While knowing the result might have been half the battle, I still grew uneasy. On the drive home I was thinking about how absurd it was that I allowed my self to become so unhinged at certain moments.

For the past three days I have been trying to reconcile the difference between whether knowing something is going to happen makes it easier when said event actually happens. It makes sense that if we are aware of how certain events will unfold, we can feel better prepared  for the outcome. This works great in Hollywood where swell looking people with impeccable hairlines and winning smiles can project snappy cliches that inspire the audience to cheer out loud and applaud (if you saw Rocky IV...the one with the Russian... this makes sense). But what about what transpires in real life? What about when the script involved is the one we write every day?

I knew it would be cold today and some people would be sleeping outside. In this case, knowing seemed to have a defeatist quality. It is depressing to understand that not everyone has housing. In this instance just knowing something does very little. I know the weather is steadily on the downward plunge so the question now becomes how do I apply this knowledge in a way that is helpful? Knowing something is neither helpful nor harmful unless that knowledge is either applied or ignored. I have been overwhelmed by the amount of generosity I have seen from many of our blog readers. You have moved from 'knowing what to do' to 'doing what is beneficial.' And for that, Samaritan House is thankful. The homeless of Kalispell is thankful.

We are currently collecting coats, sleeping bags, blankets, wool socks, boots, and any other items that can help keep a person warm as October passes the baton to November. So many of you have called to volunteer and we are appreciative of how you have responded to what is going on. If you don't have the time to physically help, then please remember that any donation (material or financial) is tax deductible and will be greatly appreciated. Lastly, if anyone is interested in helping out with Thanksgiving dinner, please feel free to drop us a line.

Knowing that we have the support of the community is more than half the battle. It feels like we can see the end of the war.