Last night after the Kings of Leon concert, we went to the New World shopping centre on College Hill in Auckland City for a cold water, as we left the grocery store we saw this box with two sides. One for donations to the SPCA and the other for donations to the Auckland City Mission.

Its true that there is the possibility that someone has just emptied the Auckland City Mission side (why would they empty one side and not the other) but it stood as an interesting picture of the priorities of the New World shoppers. I was disgusted by the thought that we would prioritise animal donations over donations that help fellow humans. But as I walked out of the shop with my friends and my H2Go bottle, I realised that even though we had just larked at the stereotypical Ponsonby scene, we didnt turn around and buy something to donate to the Auckland City Mission side of the box.

In our defense, you would either have to know about the box with the SPCA and ACM donations before you go into the shopping centre, or go back through the entrance again and buy something to put in. I live outside the city in Kumeu and never go to that particular shop so I wasnt to know about the box. But somewhere deep inside, I dont want to defend myself. Im tired of making excuses for my lack of empathy, or my lack of action.

(Photo taken on a PXT phone – sorry for the quality).