**Companion Resources Newsletter**
edited by Paul D. Leichty
Volume 5, No. 3 March/April 2003
Time and money are very much entwined in our capitalist economy. As one saying goes, “Time is money.”
I suspect there is some truth in that saying. That has become very evident to me in these last few months of living in transition. I often wish I had the time to do more work that seems to be important but that does not get paid for. Even the work that I am currently involved in is for organizations that struggle to make a good idea appealing enough to get people to pay for it. So I put in a little time here and a little time there and do some volunteer work over here. It seems like I will always live in that tension between time and money.
At the same time, I have the gnawing feeling that our ability to live in freedom from this dilemma helps determine the quality of life for ourselves, our families, and our communities.
Those of us who live with persons with special needs know very well the amount of time it takes to give that extra support, to walk with someone in a task that would take us half as long if we just did it ourselves.
Yet, to value persons is to give the gift of time. We need to find ways of building in time for work and play, support and companionship, meeting basic needs and just having fun.
We also need to financially support persons who put in major blocks of time to creatively give personal support and encouragement to others. I admit that I get tired of fundraising. Yet, if fundraising itself can be done in a way that builds community in the activity itself, it can be very redemptive. We need to find new and creative ways to both release the time of gifted people and to raise the money to make it possible.
The sharing of the resources of time, money, and talents in a supportive community remains the key. That doesn’t eliminate the time/money tension by any means. Yet perhaps in keeping the goals of a high quality of life in community at the center of all of our activity will help us to sort out the priorities. It will give us a certain freedom even within the tension.
Thanks to all of you who are companions to the weak and vulnerable! You make a tremendous contribution to building true community by simply taking the time!
Blessings!
Paul D. Leichty
PDLeichty@cresources.org
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Companion Resources
“People using Technology building Community”
info@cresources.org
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