Asking for help is one of the hardest things to do, and I agree that at least in America, there are strong cultural reasons. America is the land of paradox, where asking for help is seen as somehow not living up to the rugged individualism that supposedly is part of our national heritage, unless you're a big bank or a government, in which case all you do is ask for help.

Allowing for the 'no' is the first step in coming to terms with genuinely asking for help. Thanks for sharing this, I'm sure it will inspire someone who's been needing help in their life but has been unable or unwilling to take that first step