Don't trouble me now;

I've married a wife;

I've bought me cow.

I cannot come.

How much do we as a people care about our fellow man? How many times do we as individuals sacrifice for our neighbor who is less fortunate? When we ask for help in a difficult situation for our friend or for an acquaintance, how many of us answer the call? Do we really love our fellow man in all of his many faces, colors, and socio-economical status?

Recently I walked into a briar patch of trouble. I needed help to find a friend of mine a place to live closer to work. He is not the middle class, button-down collar type, but a country man like those whom I grew up with. My family, although well off, lived in a poor, rural Virginia county during the Depression. I grew up knowing country people and black folks, and I learned to respect their kindness and their honesty when they owned very little material goods. These people taught me to appreciate their sterling quality of integrity. I shall never forget the kindness I was given as a young girl, when my father, who was fighting in Africa, went missing for six weeks.

I learned to respect and care for my fellow man in spite of race, economic and cultural differences. I learned to love these people, because it was they and their qualities, that built this country and made it strong. Their word and their name were their bond. Through them we built an American characteristic of caring and of being generous.

What has happened to our culture when we can turn our backs and make excuses not to help those in need? Have we lost our compassion? We turn the other cheek when the governors, senators, and other officials steal large sums of money from the state and federal coffers. We get outraged about changes in our medical insurance or in our taxes. But, we can't help our neighbor when he needs some aid to find a more suitable place to live? Have we become a country of selfish, self-centered people who don't care, or don't wish to be bothered about people's troubles?

At one time, compassion for the less fortunate was a quality admired.

Somewhere, we have lost our way and our compassion, for the fellow who is less fortunate.

"Sorry, I'm not interested. I don't wish to get involved. I don't want to know about those people who are less fortunate than I am. Please, don't trouble me!"

Our neighbor needs you now. Can you answer the call?