Published: November 04, 2009 10:57 am      

My graceful conniption about the haves, the have nots and the gimmies

I lost it.

Weeks of trying to ignore incessant pleas for cell phones, video games and iPods (in every style, color and variation) resulted in a crazed declaration when my three sons started arguing about wanting their own rooms.

From the front seat of the car — and above the racket of the latest monster movie release playing on the onboard DVD player — I screeched, “That’s it! I’m moving us to Africa! Your father and I share a room, and you don’t hear us complaining!”

“That’s not the same. Besides, all our friends have their own rooms,” the boys replied.

Sigh.

All of their friends have their own rooms. All of their friends possess the most coveted games and game systems; the most enviable cell phones; the most annoying applications and most powerful 3G networks available.

As stores and advertisers gear up for this year’s holiday season, “the gimmies” are getting worse.

And my patience is dwindling.

I know they’re kids, and kids measure themselves against other kids all the time. I also know the disease of narcissistic want that starts in childhood carries over to create a society reluctant to acknowledge real and growing need in our own neighborhoods.

Although my gut reaction the other day threatened a move to Africa, it doesn't take a move to find people who need help.

An event called Weekend of Service reminded me of that. Grace Community Church (gracecc.org) hosted its second annual Weekend of Service, which immersed over 3,000 congregants alongside the “don’t haves” and “won’t haves” of central Indiana. On Oct. 17 and 18, Grace closed its doors to regular weekend services. Throngs of volunteers gathered and set out to work at more than 70 different charities and non-profit organizations. Families and friends served side-by-side at shelters and free clinics, provided car repair and Christmas shoeboxes for orphans in Ukraine and everything in between.

The weekend reminded me of the intense need of folks living all around us, in the midst of a town — indeed a society — in which the “haves” way outshine the “have-nots.” For example, 257,000 pounds of food was collected at Good Samaritan from Weekend of Service Neighborhood Food Drives. That’s a lot of food.

Yet the Hamilton County food pantries, which receive the donations, expect to run out of that enormous supply by Christmas.

As the holiday season fast approaches, it’s not too soon — or too late — to start helping others. If the thought of where to start is overwhelming, start in our own back yard. The Boone County Resource Council lists various not-for-profit organizations in their online Boone County Resource Manual at http://www.bccn.boone.in.us/sac/dir/Boone_County_Resource_Manual_09.pdf.

Serve on your own.

Serve with your kids.

Serve however you want.

Just serve.

It means the world to those who need it.

And eventually, by example, it sinks into the hearts of kids, too.

Amy Sorrells is a Zionsville resident and writer working on her first book. E-mail Amy at aksorrells@gmail.com.