By Dennis P. Carman, President & CEO, United Way of Greater Plymouth County
These days, it is very common to hear that in the health and human services we should be concerned with “self-care.” The theory is that, if we are not taking care of our physical, mental, and emotional well-being, then we will likely be doing ourselves harm, and we would likely not be doing any good for those that we are trying to help.
In my undergraduate studies in psychology at Stonehill College and my graduate studies in social work at The Ohio State University, however, the importance of our work with people being “client-centered” was constantly stressed. We were taught that we should make sure that the needs of the person we are trying to help are of paramount importance.
Given that I am not as much as an “either-or” kind of person, but a “both-and” kind of person, I would like to contend that we can take care of ourselves AND take care of our patients/clients/neighbors.
As I think there is already a treasure trove of information out there about how to make sure we engage in enough self care to keep us on a healthy path, I’d like to share something with you in this blog post to remind us to be appropriately concerned about the “others” in our lives.
In my role at United Way, I am constantly out doing workplace campaigns to encourage people to consider making a donation. To raise awareness of the many “causes” that United Way funds can help with, I am always looking for songs with socially conscious themes and lyrics to sing in order to capture people’s interest and to inspire them to make an investment in their community.
As my dad was an ardent county music fan, and as I spent many hours in the passenger seat of his Ford pickup listening to dozens of country & western 8-track tapes, I too became a fan.
One of the performers that I have come to really appreciate over the years is Glen Campbell. In particular, I remember one of his songs that came out in the mid-1960s that has stuck with me throughout the years and that I learned to play called “Less of Me.” It wasn’t until recently that I learned that the lyrics came from the first two stanzas of a poem entitled “A Creed” by Edgar Guest, the “People’s Poet,” published in 1909.
Glen Campbell (1936-2017)
Whenever I tend to take myself too seriously or complain about my lot in life, the song reminds me that there are so many others who are not as fortunate as I am, and that I can do something for them. I hope this song/poem will speak to you as well.
Edgar A. Guest (1881-1959)
courtesy of the National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution
A Creed
by Edgar Guest
Let me be a little kinder,
Let me be a little blinder
To the faults of those around me,
Let me praise a little more;
Let me be, when I am weary
Just a little bit more cheery,
Let me serve a little better
Those that I am striving for.
Let me be a little braver
When temptation bids me waver,
Let me strive a little harder
To be all that I should be;
Let me be a little meeker
With the brother that is weaker,
Let me think more of my neighbor
And a little less of me.
Community Voices for Health 