Thursday 14th June

There are many ways we can divide people up; by sex, by the colour of one’s eyes, by sexuality – but there are many more subtle ways too.  One of these is that there are those who serve, and those who serve themselves.  And if you find yourself in one camp it is very difficult to change one’s nature in order to become one of those on the other side.  Is it nature or nurture that dictates whether one ends up become self-serving or self-sacrificing, and before you think me pious, I am not condoning either behaviour.  Those who think first and foremost of themselves are maybe not so much greedy and selfish as simply more focused, more certain of their needs and how to satisfy them; in fact they may not even notice that others are scurrying around after them, so intent are they on pursuing their own goals.  Those who serve others, seemingly without a thought for their own interests, may not be quite as altruistic as they appear; they are often begrudging servers of others anyway, complaining about those they serve while smiling as they pursue their duty, all the time hoping to garner some unearned crumbs from the go-getters.  Many are happy to serve, almost relishing their second-class status, and maybe even here they are inadvertently serving their own purposes, finding comfort in their own discomfort, constantly reminding themselves how selfless they are.  I am sure that even Mother Teresa enjoyed the accolades bestowed upon her.   And maybe it is a harder furrow to plough going out in front and grabbing everything before one, maybe this self-serving becomes a burden in itself.

Or maybe as suspected those that serve themselves are just more greedy, and those who hold back and assist others just nicer people.  You decide.