Shaq Pays for N.C. Girl's Funeral -- NBA FanHouse

Shaq Pays for N.C. Girl's Funeral -- NBA FanHouse


In this day and age, many athletes get a bad rep. From promiscuity and infedelity to drugs, gambling and tax evasion; many athletes don'y have a great reputation. So, when I read a story like this one, it makes me think that there are some good guys out there. Shaq just paid for the funeral of a 5 year old girl that he did not know and had never met. He didn't know her family and had never heard of them until he sawher story on the news; yet he paid for her funeral...It makes one think.

Now $5000 is nothing for a man who makes miilions, but he did it. I keep thinking back to "regular, every day" folks like me. What am I doing to help my fellow Americans? If Shaq can pay $5000 for a funeral can't I give a $1 to the Salvation Army bell ringers? I mean, I'm not balling and I do have bills, but what's a dollar or so to help out others, right? This weekend I was asked at least three times if I wanted to donate money for a good cause, and each time my answer was, "No, I don't have any cash on me". Technically that was true because I didn't have cash just a debit card, but if I can pay $250 for a flat scrren TV, then can't I pay $6 for the use of an ATM machine and then donate a few bucks to a good cause?

These days "regular, ever day" folks tend to think about themselves and not about others. We complain about the bills we have, the job that we have, the expenses that come with every day living, hell, we just complain. Shockingly, we never do anything proactive, meaning anything that would cease our complaining. We never try to cut back on the going out to eat, the shopping, the multiple trips to the grocery store for little items (instead of making just one big trip); we constatnly leave things plugged in running up electricity. And, amazingly, we hardly ever sit down to say thank you Lord for everything that you've done for me. I mean, yeah, gas is way too high, and yeah we have car notes, rent, bills, cell phones, etc to pay for; but think about the people who don't have a home or transportation or a job. Our lives could be so much worse, but we still complain.

Now, what does this have to do with Shaq paying for that little girl's funeral. In a way nothing. But ina way everything. Shaq paid for her funeral (I'm assuming with no questions asked and with no hesitation) out of the vast amounts of money that he has. He's done his part ot help others. What are we doing? I think a lot of people are under the mistaken impression that in order to give and helppeople, we have to be millionaires. Not so. We can give our time and yes, our money. Even if it's a dollar to the volunteers for the Salvation Army or a few bucks to St. Jude's it's more than what they had before you gave it. I feel bad for not giving up a buck or two considering what I had just bought, especially after reading about what Shaq did. Such a big heart! Next time, I'm going to donate some money and do my part to help humanity. You should do the same!