by BuddyD
Why is it that some internet trend or viral meme can rake in hundreds of thousands of dollars overnight, while a hardworking single father trying to raise his two kids and keep the lights on gets left in the digital dust?
I’m looking at a GoFundMe campaign right now titled “Getting Back on Our Feet,” started by a father named Scott Sobel from Brunswick, Maryland. He’s not asking for an inheritance or a luxury vacation. He’s asking for a modest $900 just to catch up on rent and electricity after unexpected car repairs hit him over the summer. As of right now, he hasn’t even hit a quarter of that goal.
Let me make something completely clear before anyone tries to inject politics into this: I have no earthly idea what this man’s political beliefs are. He could be conservative, liberal, independent, or completely checked out from politics altogether. Furthermore, he has absolutely no clue that I am writing this post, nor does he know where it’s being shared. This isn’t about scoring political points, and it’s certainly not his fault that his story caught my eye.
This is simply about a father swallowing his pride for the sake of his children.
It forces us to ask a tough question about the state of our culture and our algorithms. Why does real, quiet, everyday hardship get ignored by the masses while superficial stories go viral in the blink of an eye? A stable home for two growing kids shouldn’t be an extravagant request. $900 shouldn’t be a mountain too high to climb in a country with so much abundance.
If we want to prove that community and basic human decency still matter more than viral sensations, we need to start noticing the people who are quietly doing everything they can just to survive. Let’s get this dad noticed.