My Inspirations
I've been in the fine art and furnishings business for more than 27 years in Kansas City. When the lease ended for my store in Leawood, the 90210 of Kansas, I moved near the Country Club Plaza, the premier shopping district for locals and tourists alike. After settling in, I was surprised to notice many homeless around this upscale retail area. A stark contrast highlighted by individuals, so wrapped up in their daily lives, they rush past the homeless asking for help.
The inspiration for our actions are always a mystery. For me, this startling divide is ingrained in my mind. I've always found joy helping people in need. My friends and family constantly ask me why I never fail to pitch in, and in fact, my mother asks all the time, "There are big agencies out there that will do everything. Why do you bother to help? Just let them do their jobs." But if we all lived by this, no one would be helping anyone because that so-called "someone else" would do the job.
I, myself, have been lucky enough to have a real someone else to step up in my own time of need. I was a foreign exchange student starting college in Kansas City. I was excited about life and wanted to have a brand new start, literally, with all new things. In my youthful exuberance, I dropped all my credit on furnishing my entire apartment. I was on top of the world. New job. New school year. And a new beginning. Unbeknownst to me, God had other things in mind.
Right after I moved in, a neighbor accidentally started a fire while smoking. The whole apartment complex burnt down. On that snowy night, we all stared in shock at the pile of debris that once was our belongings. Most of us had no insurance, myself included. It really was an eye opener. Here I was, completely engulfed in the American way of life, buying everything on credit with nothing to show for it now, except for two pillows, and some underwear and socks from the Salvation Army, along with a stack of bills.
When I went to work and my boss asked if I wanted the day off, I replied, "Why? What will I do and where will I stay?" I was a poor, homeless student by myself in a foreign country, with no money, no family, no home, no belongings except a huge debt in my name. I had no where to go and as the desperation sunk in, all I could think was: life is just not fair.
Then a friend's mother stepped in, offering me the basement of her home until I got back on my feet. To her, I was lost foreigner, yet out of the kindness of her heart, she didn't hesitate to open up her home to me, letting me be part of her family. That unconditional acceptance is something I will never forgot. Rent was out of the question, and the only thing she ever asked of me, was how she could help me get my life back together.
Kansas City has been kind to me throughout the years. The area is filled with open and generous people willing to give their hearts to strangers and offer them a place to start. It is a city of forgiveness, a place where people can have the opportunity to begin, and fall, and climb back up again. After years of people showing me this deep generosity, it is my turn to offer assistance and give back to the city by helping people who truly want to help themselves.
Kar Woo
