Help; Favor

Structurally and functionally, Help and favor are similar in presence but are never the same. Help sees only the need to assist someone; favor considers someone’s standing in your life. Help involves an unconditional sense of community; favor involves an expectation of returns. Help is the spontaneity with which you extend your hand before you weigh the importance of the life before you, favor is the hesitation with which you count your notes weighing priorities over a life. Help is what you don’t remind someone of later as a given past, favor is what you harp about to someone, every time at crossroads of life. Help is what you use to emphasize your respect for another’s life, favor is what you use to moor another’s life to your dock. Help does not make you feel a sense of loss, Favor makes you feel you have done something out of the way. Help is what you would do to even a stranger, favor is what you do to please a superior or to control a subordinate. Help means strength to understand when the helped tread your toes, favor is that outcry of disbelief, anger and frustration. Help creates friends, favor slaves or masters. Help seeks to liberate, favor seeks to imprison. Help is that quiet hand in your worst moments, favor is that lick on your boots at your best moments. Help gives, favor takes.