In the movie "It's a Wonderful Life" we see the story of a supposedly ordinary man who was never able to do the great things he dreamed about but did sacrifice for his family and his neighbors while standing up to the evil bully.
In the middle of the movie, after we get a review of his life he is brought to despair because of an event that wasn't his fault but which threatens to ruin him and everything he has worked for.
He is saved by a Guardian angel who shows him what the town would have been like if he had not been in it, and of course all the "little" things we saw him do weren't done and everything was a lot worse.
In the end it all works out but of course the message is our actions have more impact than we can know.
If you haven't seen the movie, I recommend it, although it is a bit dated.
Its hard non to see it as a fight between the little people and the evil rich person, and there is a message of populism built in where the Building and Loan is helping average folks lead a better life while the rich villain only cares about profits.
Oddly we live in a bit of a topsy-turvy time where a wealthy person has convinced at least some average folk think he is their champion and the Building and Loan would be the enemy preventing the monied person from putting the money to better use.
Of course the scenario we see in the second half shows a town where slums are prevalent, prostitution and wild living are rampant and people we met in the first half living good lives are now forced to be, well evil, by their circumstances.
In an episode of Seinfeld, a character who had never seen the movie is made to watch it and his conclusion is that the "bad" town looked like a lot more fun than the "wholesome" town and the heroes were reversed.
Its a bit like our current situation with the dotard in charge, Mr. Costanza would be happy.
However, the vast majority of us prefer the town where the average folks live a more wholesome life so do everything you can to help, not hinder is the real message. It may not seem like much but it may be more than you know.
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