Something neat is brewing

now, this is a fabulous story.

the best donations, as the Bible says, are when "the left hand doesn't know what the right is doing" (loosely translated).

these are some of those cases, and it is the sort of thing that we all should copy (if we have the means). this is so memorable that i am sure it will stick with you for some time.

if the day ever comes when i can drop a gold coin into a kettle, i will.

http://www.trivalleycentral.com/articles/2009/12/21/trivalley_dispatch/news/doc4b27f048622e0214791884.txt

Veterans' day

one of the most contentious elements of our current political debate is over who has the military's best interests at heart. there are those who say the troops should be brought home immediately and others who want to see them finish the tasks they have been sent overseas to fulfill.

without getting into that debate, it makes me smile when i see youths getting together to help veterans. this is so much different from the vietnam war, when troops returned home to scorn from malcontents embroiled in a political debate; not a gracious public thankful for the service of its soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines.

so i much prefer this, especially at Christmastime. hope you like it, too.

http://www.ocregister.com/news/rancho-224159-veterans-items.html

Secret Santa

now, this is a neat idea. america is one of the most innovative countries in the world, and i always like seeing my countrymen and women finding new ways to improve others' lives.

the idea that inspiration can be killed is a ridiculous notion, and these folks have found a way to help AND inspire people who use their service. for free, if i'm reading it correctly ...

the company helps families organize gift-giving. as families grow farther apart (geographically), something like this would make it all so much simpler. in any event, i wanted to make y'all aware of what was out there. seems like an easy way to streamline Christmas gift-giving for folks.

http://www.northjersey.com/shopping/Web_sites_abet_secret_Santa.html

Lighting the way

who loves Christmas lights?

each year, people drift around their cities and neighborhoods to check out the light decorations on various homes. it brightens your day/night to see people's houses all dolled up with accoutrements and fancy light strings, doesn't it?

well now, this is a fantastic idea: helping people enjoy their lives right up to the last minute. i dowanna ruin the story for you, so check it out. what a wonderful organization!

http://www.mnsun.com/articles/2009/12/11/news/fw10hospice.txt

Inspiration in all its forms

where do you get your inspiration?

some people rely on music, movies, books and public figures. others seek inspiration in nature, art, fashion or religion. the point is this: inspiration is all around you.

but more often than not, people are inspired by other people. i get inspired when i see an osprey carrying a catfish into an australian pine. i get inspired when i watch a little kid creating a piece of art with chalk on a sidewalk. but i get REALLY inspired when i hear a story about people overcoming disabilities.

this young man lifts his teammates to victory, despite his never having taken the athletic field. it was written by a good friend of mine, and he tells these stories often. expect to see his work here on a routine basis.

you never know when you are inspiring people; whether it's by helping an elderly lady put bags into her car, dropping some spare change into a salvation army kettle or jogging down the street. so it pays to keep your act together at all times (if possible).

this young man is outwardly inpirational, and i loved reading about him. i bet you will, too.

http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20091203/COLUMNISTS0306/912030319/1065

New school

i never get tired of these stories.

i am a total sucker for students who donate their time and energy (and sometimes safety) to causes in foreign countries. having been to england, belgium and japan in my younger days, i can appreciate the value of travel, and, heck, i was in modernized countries! that made visiting more fun and still exposed me to other cultures simultaneously.

but THESE kids spent a busy week in liberia fixing kids' teeth, and that is special. i have a buddy who followed a church youth group to africa a couple of years back, and he had a life-changing experience during it. young people who volunteer to build churches or hospitals or take care of kids in third-world countries have my immediate admiration.

adults in america moan and gripe a great deal about the youths in america, how they're soft and pampered and not as tough as previous generations. well, i have heard many stories about military veterans serving in far-flung locations and doing their part, but my grandparents' generation -- for all its accomplishments -- didn't go overseas to do the things these young people do in near as great a numbers as today's generation.

for that, i am proud of the involvment of young adults like these folks from the oregon. they are a credit to this country and should be patted on the back as often as possible.

it's stuff like this that motivates me to get off my duff and do more for people, and i hope they inspire you the same way. kudos, kids!

http://www.lagrandeobserver.com/News/Local-News/To-Africa-with-love-ODS-dental-hygiene-students-put-their-skills-to-work-helping-children-in-Liberia

Sports fans

as a lifelong florida resident, i am accustomed to the prevalence of football. it has a ubiquitous presence in the state, and dominates conversation and consciousness for prep athletes, collegians, fans and professionals for more than half of every year.

the big game this weekend between the florida gators and the alabama crimson tide weighs heavy on the mind of UF fans, for their national championship hopes may well rest on the outcome of that SEC title game in atlanta on saturday.

as an FSU fan, i am rooting for the Tide ... but i digress.

football fans pour their hopes and dreams into their favorite teams, and they passionately cross their fingers and spend their money traveling to games and hope for the successes on the field, which brings them joy. it serves as an extension of themselves, really, and they derive satisfaction (and some sadness) from the teams' pursuits.

but there are other athletes who play sports as a way out of their current circumstances. right or wrong, some kids play football, literally, to improve their lives. and the adults who coach some of these kids know that many of their futures may hinge on their athletic prowess.

so teams come from all over the country to compete in the pop warner championships, not too far away from me in lake buena vista, florida each year. and some of these teams -- after their invitations to the big event -- need help getting there. and the fans and parents of the kids do their best to accomodate the financial demands ... all so the kids have something to hope for and compete in.

this team was raising money to travel down here from new jersey so a bunch of young teenagers can have a shot at their own title. thanks to the reporter who cranked out this story about -- and on behalf of -- the team.

it's a noble pursuit, and the purest of all athletic activity: the desire to win on the biggest stage and improve yourself through victory. of the happiest moments of my life, i most often remember the victories first.

here's hoping this team not only makes it down here, but does its best in orlando. that, in itself, is a reward and a memory nobody can replace.

http://www.app.com/article/20091202/NEWS/912030335/1004/NEWS01&source=rss

Wedded bliss

geez, i know y'all are about as sick as i am of the tiger woods story. we read so much about this stuff that it makes us wonder if ANYBODY stays together anymore.

well, perhaps they don't (at least not on average), but there are people who gracefully stride through life together without a care in the world. you know them; maybe they are family members who recently celebrated their 45th anniversary. or the couple down the street you know, who were married in 1950.

yes, they exist. but they get lost amidst the ugly news of celebrity divorce and famous-people transgressions. we should never forget that long-lasting love is not only possible, but common.

the point i am making, i guess, is that whenever you see this sorta thing and it gets you down -- even a little bit -- go data mining for a good story about successful marriages and couples who have stayed together. good news is out there; you just have to dig a little bit.

here are a couple i found lickety-split this morning while i was down visiting my parents. these stories are not unlike all married couples: where they met, the awkwardness, etc. and it's so nice that the reporters took the time to write about them. enjoy ...

http://www.eastbourneherald.co.uk/news/Sadie-and-Ted-celebrate-60.5864855.jp

http://www.chichester.co.uk/mid-sussex-news/Burgess-Hill-couple-celebrate-60.5860344.jp

A Marvelous Legacy

i stand by the notion that the best indicator of what kind of person you were is the crowd at your funeral. now, don't get me wrong; i am not talking about famous people. i am talking about folks like this softball coach from beloit, wisc.

when you imagine the number of lives this man touched and read the story about his passing, it's humbling. there are so many fixtures in small communities across this country, like mr. splan, and they are tragically missed when they leave us.

as it turns out, this guy was from a city not too far from where i served in the military. that area of the country has a solid midwestern style and it's not surprising that this is where he came from. i have no idea what this man was like, but it seems he had zero detractors and was a treasure to his community. we should all be so lucky at the end of our lives, and we can be if we choose to make a positive difference every day.

http://beloitdailynews.com/articles/2009/11/30/sports/local_sports/sports3001.txt