Just a simple holiday note to offer some ideas for doing a good deed around the holidays. If anyone has any other ideas, by all means post away.
As for myself, there's a couple of easy picks that I think are worth advocating:
Wednesday, go to River Oaks theater and catch Its a Wonderful Life at 7:30. Leave the wallet at home, because admission is free. Well, to the extent that the price is really a donated toy. I've already got my gift in hand to donate, I just hope I'm not waiting in some hideously long line. The toys will be donated to Toys for Tots.
Before the end of the week, the Professional Hockey Players Association will be wrapping up an auction for a former Houston Aeros player to procure a wheelchair for his 3-year old son who was born with cerebral palsy. A lot of the items are going for cheap, so be sure to bid on a few if you really want to help out a truly worthwhile individual cause. More info can be found on my Aeros fan site: InstigatorAlley.com.
There's a bunch more, and to each everyone's own in how they contribute to making the world a better place ... so long as you do something.
1 Comments
Although I've historically stayed away from a full viewing of IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE, I may just take that in. In general, a documentary helps the world much more than sappy Hollywood fantasies, but in this case, perhaps the point is that one person CAN make a difference, assuming they observe what's possible to them - and act. If the point's simply to claim that you should do the Albert Schweitzer (sp?) and only serve others, that would just reiterate the argument for ethical slavery you hear everywhere (by those ready to cash in on your supposed responsibility for EVERYTHING). I don't know the film's story; it's probably a mix.
But aside of the major benefit of seeing a competent midcentury film on a big screen, I'll take a chance on the thing giving an adequate argument for charity/self-improvement. I unite those concepts since improvement of another (or anybody) can't come from anyone valueless to themselves.
Improvement begins at home. Maybe self-improvement is all that's possible to us most of the time. I have some ideas regarding saving the world.
1. If you have a good idea, speak it. If it's ill-concieved, you'll find a better idea. If it really is good, the theoretical competition will probably show that in better relief.
2. If you find who's posting the pro-goat-relations strings, please electrocute the person or at least break fingers and toes.
3. Learn an instrument or language - well. Get into a better line of work if nessecary. Read the stuff you've meant to for too long.
4. Make some money and spend it on worthwhile things, contributions where you KNOW where it's going, and labor saving devices. A purchase is a type of vote.