John Bouman, President, Shriver Center
“You don't do this work with the idea that if you do it right you're gonna end poverty. It's one of those things where its just a constant struggle and the point of it is the struggle and the gains that you make within it, you do actually improve lives, you can look back over a career and see a footprint. So its not futile by any means. But it isn't ever over. The work itself is the point of it.”
Thank you John Bouman for reminding me of what I've written here at least a couple of times. It is easy to get caught up in the ends, the fruits of the labor. Yet the end isn't the purpose. His words recognize an ancient wisdom with roots many thousands of years old. Learning about Mr. Bouman's roots, however, it is easy to see how this perspective came to be.
So what does the job look like in action?
Though the struggle may be constant there are victories to savor. Mr. Bouman explains that those victories are what keep you going, keep you from getting burnt out.
For further information on the Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law please see: www.povertylaw.org
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