Tolerance In the Community

“Everybody Counts”
-Jill W Tomey

Everybody counts.

When my kids were in grade school, the school dedicated a week each year to the Everybody Counts program. It was a program that focused on physical and mental disabilities and explained how children in this category had more similarities to them than differences. I volunteered to help in the classrooms during those weeks. I thought the program was wonderful and did a great job at teaching Tolerance and Acceptance.

Recently, the phrase came up again when I was reading a crime novel. The main character, Harry Bosch, was investigating the murder of a prostitute. When asked why he was putting effort into finding the murderer for a “low life”, his answer was “Everybody counts or nobody counts.” I was struck by that phrase and how much more meaning it added to Everybody Counts. It gives me pause to really think about that phrase. Say it quietly to yourself and see if you can feel it.

Bosch used this phrase in many cases, and it was repeated by others in the series of books. I wasn’t the only one struck by the phrase as I recently discovered that many in the fan base have responded. The author of the series, Michael Connelly, recently hosted a fundraiser, selling T-shirts sporting Bosch’s credo to raise money for “My Friend’s Place”, an outreach that has been rescuing kids living on the street in Los Angeles. The fundraiser had a goal to sell 3000 shirts but ended up selling over 6200. (go to https://www.bonfire.com/everybodycounts/ if you want to be notified if the shirts will be sold again)

Everybody counts – those I disagree with, those that aren’t like me, those that don’t like me, those I don’t know, – the list is endless. It’s easy to value family and friends but placing value on those outside of our circle is the real test.

This month, exercise your tolerance and acceptance of Everybody.