Charity’s Face

Starred by Sandra Bullock, Leigh-Ann Touhy’s life is filmed in The Blind Side. A movie based on true story of a left tackle, Michael Oher, a black kid legally guarded by the Touhy’s based on nothing, no correlation or whatsoever in their backgrounds and/or foregrounds.

Michael Oher, Big Mike, was accepted to Wingate, a Christian fine school, for his potential athletic skill, tough his grade was far below school standard. He was a state ward since her mother wasn’t the best guardian because she’s on drugs.
Since he was a little, the social service took him from his mother and got him fostered. But none last. Till the last house he stayed in, where the wife is not as kind as the husband. So, he stayed place to place in the night.

Until one night, he came across the Touhy’s. Leigh-Ann took him home and let him sleep in the couch for the night. Just like that.

And then the story goes. Michael’s grades finally adequate for him to join football team and start practice. Turned out football is a fortune changer for Michael, since he got the build as left tackle and he did a great job as one.

Finally, Michael got himself a scholarship to college and made it as an All American football player.

-

The main issue of this movie is actually apartheid issue. A Caucasian Leigh-Ann Touhy volunteering to legally guard an Afro-American Michael Oher. But to me, there’s a little more than color issue that is shown in this movie. It’s kind of depicting one of charity’s face.

Pretty.
Blonde.
And driving a 7 Series BMW.

Don’t get me wrong. I am not implying that we should be one of or all three of above to be able to do charity. Not at all. But pretty, blonde and having a 7 Series BMW convey one message. Abundance. Yet, abundance is not a measureable state. For me, it’s more to an attitude.


Leigh-Ann and her friends can have the same overpriced salad, yet only Leigh-Ann opens the door of her home for a complete (different race) stranger. She did have worries but that didn’t stop her to do what feels right to her. The same wealth, but different attitude.

And to have the face of charity, the face of abundance is not in correlated with wealth, though seem it is, and most of the times the result is wealth.


One of the most generous donor in Asia is a vegetables seller, Chen Shu-Chu. She is the winner of 2011 Asian of the Year as she managed to donor $300.000 aside her revenue as a vegetables seller. That is a lot of money, yes. She must be a rich woman ? No. She just got the attitude of abundance as she only took what she needs and save the rest to give it away for the betterment of her society.

Resulting certain amount of money, appearing as fine wealthy lady, Chen Shu-Chu and Leigh-Ann Touhy are not just some people doing charity. They are the charity’s face. They are caritas, precious ones, one with unlimited loving and kindness.