How to Help Out in Society

In the video (above), Blue Bird, (who has sprained his right leg) is limping along a path. People pass by him, and one man almost steps on him. Uma rescues him from certain disaster and decides to take him to the hospital. 

This is something that happens all too often. Someone is injured, or sick and people decide that it would be much easier to just go on with their business and ignore those who need their help. It is often very easy to help others, but even easier to ignore them. This bums me out.

What Uma is trying to do is go out into the world and change this psychology. She is teaching people to go out and help others. She does it herself as an example that everyone else can follow. It goes a lot further than just helping an injured bird on some path. It goes much further than helping an injured person on a busy street. It can mean helping entire groups of people who can easily be helped by those who are more fortunate. Of course it is easier to just ignore all of this and pretend it's not happening. However, Uma urges you not to do this, and to take initiative by joining her team and helping her help everyone who truly needs it. 

Video Credits: Video and audio (including music) written and produced by Chris Selland.

Uma on Problems

Uma is a monkey who helps people solve their problems. She has started recruiting people to join forces with her. Above is a video sponsored by none other than Uma herself. She does not want to appear in the actual video as she does not want her true identity to be revealed to the masses. There are certain people in the world who feel that the human race would be better off without her. The purpose of this film is to weed out the people with small problems before they call up Uma, potentially wasting her time. Uma can now help these people effortlessly with these video broadcasts. Now, only people with real issues will actually call up the magical monkey. 

In a recent interview with renowned Sociologist, Edward DuCharme, he claims that what Uma is doing is playing renegade guidance counselor to the human race, in hopes of saving it before it destroys itself. The true question is whether this is really helping or not. In Uma's defense, she is building a vast organization, which is making her work more effective. 

The above scenario actually illustrates a recent true story that shocked the world:

Hans, the Shneeman is bummed out. He is very busy, and his social life is not that great. He hasn't had a date in ten months. He hasn't read the news at all so he doesn't know that there are snowmen and women in other parts of the world who are having a much harder time. In fact, close to thirty percent of snowpeople are melting, and will not be able to return next winter. Anyway, Uma gets a call and flies all the way to Germany to help the guy. When she arrives, she realizes that his problems are miniscule. This is when she realizes that she is going to have to build a program that will weed out these types of problems by preemptively solving them with a viral video campaign. Uma strongly emphasizes that people must believe in themselves and help each other the best they can before calling her. Uma should only be summoned into action as a last resort. 

Remember this, and you too can improve your well-being!

Video Credits: Video and audio (including music) written and produced by Chris Selland.

"It's a Family Affair" Part 2

There is a knock at the door. Chelsea gets up and opens it. Aaron and his sister stand there. Uma is holding a stack of papers. This makes Chelsea nervous. What does this mean? Monkeys are very intelligent and trustworthy, but she has never been in this situation before.

"OK, guys, I know you know what's up. This isn't an advice session. I'm just helping you with some technicalities. Let's sit at the dining room table."

Uma, Aaron, and Chelsea sit down around the stack of paperwork. It is revealed that the paperwork is for a  rehab center. Aaron and Chelsea start filling the papers out. Once they've filled out the forms, however, there seem to be more forms.

"What's this all about?" Aaron asks, indicating the extra forms.
"Ah. Yes, both of you could face some jail time because of your career choices, so I've acquired some clearance forms from pretty high up. I can't tell you how high up, but it's up there, and definitely legit," Uma assures Aaron and Chelsea.

Aaron and Chelsea fill out all the forms. Uma then accompanies them to a post office to send off the rehab forms, and the local police department to turn in the legal clearance forms.

"How did you manage to pull all this off? I mean, it's pretty amazing," Aaron asks his sister.
"I've helped a lot of people. And they all want to help me in return. Simple," Uma explains.

A few months later, Chelsea and Aaron are sitting in the garden at a rehab center somewhere deep in the woods in Northern California. They sip on ice tea and are feeling pretty good after an intensive period of withdrawal symptoms. The people at the rehab center have helped them find connections and places that are willing to hire people with troubled pasts. Chelsea and Aaron are waiting for Uma to come by that day and pay a visit.

It's mid afternoon, and the two friends are sitting in the lobby. Uma strides in confidently and spots them, and rushes over to say hello.

"Hey, long time no see! How are you?" Uma exclaims.
"Oh, fine, much better. Thanks so much," Aaron and Chelsea answer.

After some talking and filling out of more forms, the three happy friends are headed back to San Francisco, and Uma has jobs for both Aaron and Chelsea.

"OK, so you keep on telling us that we'll love our new jobs, and that we'll be doing great things. So, what is it?" Chelsea asks.
"Haha, you'll see," Uma answers.

Uma leads the two into her house. "OK, make yourselves at home," she says.

Uma grabs a book from a tall shelf. She brings it to her brother and his friend.
"OK, you can sign up in here if you wish. But you'll need to be committed. I know you have strong wills and a deep desire to do good in this world. But I'm not going to force you to take this career path." She opens the book. "Would you like to be my assistants? Would you like to help me help people help themselves? It's a rewarding job, and so many people, animals, and plants all over the world are expecting me to come save them from the doldrums these days that I really need some help. So if you'd like to join the team, just sign up in this book and we can start training first thing tomorrow morning. Are you in?"
"I'm in," Aaron says.
"Me too," Chelsea adds.

The three friends shake hands, laugh, and jump up, frozen in the air for a few seconds as is necessary in such comical superhero situations.

A new day is coming, and Uma is bringing it.

"It's a Family Affair" Part 1

The sun shines in through the blinds. Aaron opens his eyes and squints painfully toward the blinding light. He rolls over and looks at the floor next to the bed. Clothes, white powder, a few needles, a pipe, and an AK-47 are strewn casually across the floor. Aaron turns away from this scene of destruction to look at the woman sleeping next to him. Who is she? Oh... Suddenly he recognizes her. She was a good friend of his in elementary school, but they went their separate ways in middle school. He didn't recognize her last night, but now it all comes back to him. Aaron suddenly remembers all the fun times he had with her as a child.

Aaron remembers very clearly. He sees himself playing with this girl. Chelsea. That's her name. He is suddenly transported back to a time where he is learning how to play guitar and violin. He is painting pictures, and working on a science project. He runs to his mother and asks her what she'd like for dinner. She says she'd like spaghetti. He smiles at her lovingly and goes to the kitchen to make the meal with her. Later, after eating, he tells mom and dad that he has decided that he wants to be a scientist and find cures for various currently incurable illnesses, and also make artwork on the side. He is an ambitious little child who wants to help people and make beautiful things. He gets good grades, has many friends, and is artistically gifted.

Aaron smiles at these memories, then grimaces as he looks at himself in the mirror on the wall. He sees himself, emaciated with messed up fur that hasn't seen a shower in a week.

Chelsea wakes up. "Oh, my God, I had no idea you were a monkey!" she says.
Aaron says, "I'm not just a monkey. I'm Aaron. We used to be friends."
"Yes, we did," Chelsea says with a far away look.
"I'll make breakfast," Aaron says.
"Oh, thanks, but you don't have to..." Chelsea says drearily.
"I want to..." Aaron says.

Aaron is bummed out that he let his life become like this. What went wrong? He was such a good little kid. Fifteen years later he is a drug addict, a gun runner, and all his "love affairs" are paid for. He's also bummed out that Chelsea's life has also gone astray. She was also a good little kid. Very bright, attentive, and creative. Now she is no better off than he is. He wants to help her. He also wants to help himself. It won't be easy though.

As Aaron is making eggs in the kitchen he tries to think about what he did wrong and what he should fix in order to begin his journey down the road of helping himself and Chelsea. He nods as he realizes that reconnecting with his family is the first thing he should do.

"Hey, Chelsea, let me get your number. We'll keep in touch. I'll try to get you a good job and make everything better again for both of us. In the meantime, I need to go talk to my sister. She's all the family I've got now, and I need to talk to her," Aaron says solemnly.
"Yeah, OK," Chelsea says, and gives him her number.

Aaron gets in his car and drives home. He sits alone, staring at the phone. He picks it up and calls his sister.

"Hello?" his sister calls out at the other end of the line.
"Hey, Uma, it's Aaron. Don't hang up, I want to apologize."
"I wasn't going to hang up. Don't worry. I accept your apology. Are you OK?" Uma asks.
"No. I mean I was wasn't, but I want to be. I'm in between those two places right now. I just wanted to reconnect with you as I begin my journey toward fixing everything I've broken." Aaron whispers, choking back tears.
"Yeah, well, OK. Let's meet up and talk. I think that's best." Uma says.

Aaron and Uma meet up at Cafe Trieste. They talk about the last time they saw each other at their parents' funeral, which ended in a fight between the two of them, where Uma called Aaron a baby killer who deserved to die. She was very upset that her brother was in the killing industry.

"I want to do something else. This is just so wrong. And I want to help Chelsea." Aaron says, explaining  the current situation that opened his eyes.
"I can help you. That's what I do these days. I help people." Uma says, smiling at her brother.
"I'd like to help myself. But, thanks." Aaron sighs.
"I think you need my help." Uma whispers.

Aaron does need his sister's help. This is the most difficult help that Uma has ever had to give, however. This is not an advice session. Aaron has already given himself advice. Uma must help find her brother and Chelsea jobs, and rehabilitation. This is going to be a long journey. Uma is excited, though. She is up for the challenge.