ImPerceptibility

Posts Tagged ‘charity’

Hey Honey, we’re walking across the country next July. That was the sentence I greeted MyHusband with last July. He said, “Really?”

I assured him it was true and real, and I wasn’t smoking crack. I told him I needed a backpack and new boots.

He explained that it was a long, long way across the country.

I explained we weren’t walking across this country, we were walking across England and he seemed a bit relieved. Then I explained why we were doing this.

The thing is, sometimes bad things happen. You can sit around on your butt and talk about them, or you can pretend they didn’t happen, or you can go do something to help. But they do happen even if we don’t want to think about them.

In 2008 Dan got off his fat butt and did something about it. He also managed to reduce the size of his butt in the process. This year he is taking 60 of us with him. It should be quite an adventure. I hope my butt survives because,

In a few months I will be off to walk 8 thousand (give or take 7916 miles) across England. MyHusband and I will be staying in flea infested hostels, moldy tent, and a B&B that may or may not be run by a lunatic. Only time will tell.

MyHusband will be eating Teriyaki Beef Jerky and Gummy Bears and I will be eating whatever they give me, or maybe whatever I can forage. Dan has yet to tell me how he plans to feed us. I’m a little worried. No one believes me but, I will be bringing my alligator. As participants we are looking forward to the trip and meeting new friends we have gotten to know through blogging. As parents we are honored to help raise money for The Joseph Salmon Trust, a small charity set up by Neil and Rachael Salmon to honor their son Joseph who they lost to pneumonia at the age of three.

The charity assists parents who have lost a child irregardless of the age of their child. They help with funeral costs or pay some basic household expenses which allows the self employed a break from work while they come to terms with their loss. They fill a gap that is often overlooked. I think the sentence, “Nothing we can do will make their situation better, but we can help stop it getting worse” sums things up perfectly.

The trustees of the Joseph Salmon Trust are volunteers and the minimal overhead costs are covered by corporate sponsors, so 100% of every dollar/pound given will go to assist parents that have lost a child.

So, how about it. Will you help me with a donation to the Joseph Salmon Trust? Right now I have raised exactly $0. That’s a bit embarrassing. So if you can, please help me out.

I’ll keep you updated on the walk and let you know if I survived.

Mommy that hobo is pathetic.

That’s what my daughter told me a few nights ago. I was expecting her to be sad. Her tender and loving heart hurt by the thought of someone with so little that they had to stand in front of the mall and beg passing cars for change.

You see, she’s the kid that picks worms up out of the road and puts them back in the garden after it rains because she doesn’t want them to die in the sun. She checks the SPCA page every few months to make sure the pets have been adopted. I buy icee pops in bulk because she makes sure everyone in the neighborhood has an icee pop on hot days. She doesn’t want anyone to feel left out. She’s my baby and I love her ability to look at a situation and decide what needs to be done to make it better.

“Absolutely pathetic!” she continued with a hint of contempt in her voice. Myhusband and I looked at each other questioningly as she continued.

Does he really think I’m going to fall for that?

First: He has a printed sign. It was printed on a computer and it’s in a plastic report cover. Hobos have to scrounge through the restaurant trash and find a crayon then write a handwritten sign on a piece of cardboard.

Second: He has a brand new backpack. It’s nicer than mine.

Third : You never see hobos walking on this road he must drive from somewhere and park in the parking lot. How did he buy a car if he’s a hobo?

Fourth : He has new shoes.

Fifth: He’s not hungry because he’s fat!

I was a little stunned and instead of looking in the other direction I looked at the man she was so harshly judging. I must say, I think she’s right.

I’ve wondered about the men that stand at the light in front of the mall. They are always there. I’ve wondered if they have a schedule to determine who works when.

We put money in the tip jars even if we only got a lemonade. We drop bills in the hat of street musicians. We give food and money to local food banks. I once threw a $20 bill behind an old man that couldn’t pay for his groceries at the checkout and insisted that I had seen it fall out of his pocket. But I’ve never given a dime to the hobos in front of the mall. I doubt I will.

Today my daughter told me she had seen the hobo from the mall texting someone on his cell phone. He had a Starbucks cup sitting beside him. I had to giggle. She shook her head.

Pathetic! I said and she giggled back.

Come on guys. If you want our money you need to do better than that! Get an old hat. Maybe a harmonica or somethin’. Buy your coffee from 7-11. Stop carrying around $100 backpacks. You have a reputation to uphold and you are making my child jaded. I expect better!