I am "Giving" but I am NOT "Giving Back"

What is with people and the concept of "giving back" or "giving back to the community" when you donate your time/treasure?

Am I "giving" or am I "giving back" . . . to me there is a HUGE IMPLIED DIFFERENCE between the two.

If I am "giving back" then does that not imply that I "took something" in the first place

What wealth or fortune each of us has, be it nearly nothing or be it substantial, was earned, saved and accumulated over time. If it was earned then it was not taken away from others.

So if I (and my wife) volunteer as a coach(es) for the high school, and work there without pay, I(we) am not "giving back" anything. It is just "giving." None of my family ever attended that particular high school. We just happen to live near that school so we donate our time to that school.

Why do people need to attempt to make those who donate their time, treasures, talent to feel like they took something in the first place?

Under BUSH....I felt like it was...we all do what we can to make it a better place. how much and or when was up to us.


Under O-slimmy...if ya got it you stole it from some poo nig.. and the gov says ya owe all..nig... for thr rest of your life....and then any and all must be given to the gov to be redisputed to the more worthy poo foke.....


That is how it strikes me at present!!!!!!!!!

Where I live I don't have a "Comunity", I live in pretty much wilderness with a highway going by. Having said that, I "gave" a lot to the local town about twenty miles to the North (pop about 375). But I can truly say I didn't "give anything back", matter of fact, I have pretty much not gotten much from them at all. When my friend came to my house one Christmas from that town, he had a heart attack just after coming in the door, they wouldn't come out and passed the call to another town farther away because they said it was out of their "Area" (losd of BS), yet he was a tax payer from that town and died a short time after that (few months).

Needless to say, I didn't get anything back, and clearly wasn't expecting it. But I did give a lot in donated time, money and effort to make the place a better one.

fogtender said:

Where I live I don't have a "Comunity", I live in pretty much wilderness with a highway going by. Having said that, I "gave" a lot to the local town about twenty miles to the North (pop about 375). But I can truly say I didn't "give anything back", matter of fact, I have pretty much not gotten much from them at all. When my friend came to my house one Christmas from that town, he had a heart attack just after coming in the door, they wouldn't come out and passed the call to another town farther away because they said it was out of their "Area" (losd of BS), yet he was a tax payer from that town and died a short time after that (few months).

Needless to say, I didn't get anything back, and clearly wasn't expecting it. But I did give a lot in donated time, money and effort to make the place a better one.

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Same here . We are only a 100 or so folks in the winter . Most are elderly . A cord of wood may show up or a driveway is suddenly plowed . We all help where we can . Its not about giving back but helping our friends who need a little help now and then .
Today( Monday) is Seniors day and the local people eat together at the cafe for lunch . $6 with all the fixins and the cafe donates its time for free . Only actual food is charged for . Food is always left over and given to the older folks .
Friday the water main broke our little town and we only have a two man water dept . 7 men and a Case 580 backhoe showed up to help , free of charge .

Thats the way it should be ......

Got to agree with al on that one!!!!!

I give to a lot of causes of my own choice, let's see I have volunteered my snow cat to local ems on numerous times. if something gets broke it's on my dime I plow my neighbors drive way when I do mine. I help out my wife's family members out on St. Laurence island .so I get offended when I'm at the check out stand and some one asks for a donation. especially when they look like I'm some kind of tight ass for not giving it. I give enough it's just not to that cause. when those causes start donating to me I will gladly donate back to them. other wise I will choose who I want to give to.