Wow. You'd think I'd bombed some small third world country yesterday with some of the personal responses I've gotten from my entry.

Some people vehemently agreed with me (actually, most people who responded conceded that people in general tend to be rather dumb). It was more the 'trying to help others' portion that got the response. There are one or two people who actually know how miserable I am in my current situation, and at least one of those people feels I shouldn't be giving advice, or even expecting my 'help' to actually help anyone, because I have been thus far unable to relieve my own problems. While most of her assessments were right on, this one was far off. I love this person, and consider her a dear friend (love in the 'friend/caring' way), but have to say I think she's wrong on this point.

My current situation doesn't negate the value of my advice. My past experience, and just plain common sense gives my advice and help some clout. People wouldn't be coming to me asking for my advice if they felt it wasn't going to be helpful. Granted, not everyone I try to help has asked for it, but that doesn't mean I should willingly allow them to stumble into their own holes. People can learn from past mistakes, or the mistakes of others, and should share that knowledge with others heading along similar paths. Now, obviously we can't force them to heed the advice, but just because it may be unsolicited doesn't make it any less valuable.

Admittedly, I'm no gold mine here, but I've got a decent head on my shoulders, a good deal of common sense and a good helping of life experience under my belt. Not to mention a willingness to help others (even if a part of my motivation is the satisfaction I get out of helping people). I'm one of those people who can teach you the theory, but haven't quite figured out how to apply it properly in our own lives. Does that make it less valuable? Heck no! Just because I can't apply it, doesn't mean the person(s) I share it with can't.

On top of that, many of the people who ask me for help/advice, or that I share it with have no clue what my personal life is like. So why should it make a difference? If I tell them "Just go and do it", is it going to sound any different if they know everything, or nothing about my own life? The advice is what it means to THEM, not how it applies to me, sharing it with them. And if I can't seem to get my own act together, why should I thusly neglect helping someone else? That would make things worse, IMO.

That all being said, I'd rather continue to help where I'm asked, or where I see a problem (I'd rather offer to help and be rejected, than sit idly by while someone falls). If I can figure out how to get out of my own hole along the way, so be it. But either way, I have things to share, things to teach, and I will continue to do so. If I help even one person, it's worth it, you know?