Conan O’Brien, cynicism and 20 little girls in Haiti.
It’s so easy to be cynical. In the best of times, a daily dose of the so-called news is enough to wear away at anyone: a house burns down, a car crashes, government officials stumble, jobs are lost, work and family politics can be difficult, a loved one gets sick or dies, a new president supposedly doesn’t sparkle like his supporters dreamed he would. Even in a crowded world we sometimes find ourselves alone. Yes, there is always fuel for the cynic.
Over the past few weeks we were exposed to one of our regular media sideshows. New “Tonight Show” host Conan O’Brien was shoved aside due to ratings and network politics. His predecessor (himself pushed out previously due to network politics) was re-anointed as host of the “Tonight Show.” In the broader scheme of things it was an interesting story, in the way that gossip and drama can be interesting, but it wasn’t the sort of story that alters the course of human events.
On January 12, an earthquake struck Haiti. It did alter human events and unleashed death, destruction and suffering that is nearly unprecedented. Large wars in the last century were worse, but among disasters, the Haiti quake ranks right up there. It managed, through scale alone, to make Hurricane Katrina seem like a relatively minor event—which it wasn’t.
At the end of his final telecast as “Tonight Show” host, Conan O’Brien made a plea to his fans. He said, “I’m asking this particularly of young people that watch: Please do not be cynical. I hate cynicism. For the record, it’s my least favorite quality. It doesn’t lead anywhere. Nobody in life gets exactly what they thought they were going to get. But if you work really hard and you’re kind, amazing things will happen.”
I too hate cynicism. I always have. Though at times, I too am cynical. Regardless, Conan is right:
Cynicism does not lead anywhere.
At best, it’s a coping mechanism in what can be a tough world. At worst, it’s a cop-out.
Over the past two weeks I’ve been following closely the plight of an old high school classmate: Toby Munson Banks. She and her husband Tim are running an orphanage in Haiti. While close to the epicenter of the quake, their orphanage building didn’t collapse though it did suffer severe damage and is uninhabitable. As mentioned in earlier posts, Toby and Tim quickly chose to try to evacuate the girls at the orphanage. Living conditions are pitiful with corpses everywhere, people with severe injuries struggling to survive and severe problems getting food and water to the population. All things considered, the orphanage under Tim and Toby Banks is doing OK, but that’s relative.
They are also suffering. Tim and Toby made the decision this week to send their two young children, who have been living with them in Haiti, home to Ohio. With uncertainty as to when the family will be reunited, this was a gut-wrenching choice. They are still working to evacuate the 20 girls for whom they are legally and morally responsible. They are under a kind of stress that is intense and is something that is beyond the scope of the experiences of most Americans.
The RIESTER Foundation made a quick decision after the quake to do what it can for the Hope orphanage and the 20 little girls aged 2-13 whose only family are Tim and Toby Banks. So far, red tape has prevented them from being evacuated to a temporary safe haven in Ohio while the orphanage is being rebuilt. As reported earlier, this orphanage exists to raise and educate Haitian girls in a stable, loving home environment and to prepare them to live productive lives in Haiti. They are not candidates for adoption to American families, but they are in the custody of the Banks–Americans living in Haiti.
We hope the Banks succeed in obtaining refuge and we are continuing to do what we can to help.
I join Conan with a heartfelt plea: Do not be a cynic.
Yes, these are 20 girls in a situation where over a million people are facing untold hardships. Yet they are girls in the custody of Americans who are responsible for raising and nurturing them. Every life has value that is incalculable. Everything we do as individuals and as a nation makes a difference to a population reeling from this natural disaster.
Join the RIESTER Foundation and Conan O’Brien and stand against cynicism. Our civilization, as well as our individual journeys, depends on people who rise above the roadblocks and travails of life. These hurdles are often internally erected, but sometimes they are very much external, such as when you’re faced with recovering from a disaster of immense proportions or when your parents die or disappear when you’re an infant or a very young child facing the world alone.
“Amazing things will happen.” Conan.
And more amazing things can happen with your help.
To support the Hope Center for Orphaned Girls please click on donate below to make a donation from the RIESTER Foundation PayPal page. The RIESTER Foundation is still matching donations, dollar for dollar:
Or send a check to:
RIESTER Foundation
802 North 3rd Avenue
Phoenix, AZ 85003
Please write “Haiti” in the memo line of the check.
All contributions are welcome and will be used for the orphanage.
To see all updates from RIESTER regarding Haiti go to:
Haitians wait for the distribution of emergency supplies following the earthquake. Regardless of the challenge, regardless of the deaths, regardless of the destruction, cynicism will never help. While we're living, we have a duty to overcome life's challenges and burdens. Photo by Daniel Barker, U.S. Navy.
