Out with the old, In with the New

With the start of a new year, having this past year end with such devastation must make one feel truly blessed to be alive and able to change, correct or redirect one's life ..focus..priorities. At the very least that is true for me. All of us tend to want to begin the new year with grand resolutions. When maybe what we really should be thinking about is how to better connect ourselves with those around us. To be globally informed, and commit to a resolution to create some positive change on the planet.

Pie-in-the-sky ideas, I know. But I have to start somewhere. And as the pre-pedophile Michael Jackson sang, "I'm starting with the wo/man in the mirror".

Last night as I trekked all over town running errands...the grocery store, Costco then the pharmacy.. I noticed every establishment had a donation site for the victims of the latest natural disaster, the Asian Tsunami. At the grocery store there were buckets at every register. I passed by the one at the register line I was in. But I thought to myself, "what a nice gesture", although I did not see any money inside. At the exit in Costco, there was a huge square glass structure to collect funds for tsunami victims. Everything at Costco is huge. I passed that one by too...I just could not get back into my wallet, push my cart through and show my receipt at the same time. Inconvenient. But I did see dollars, 5's and 10's resting at the bottom of the case. Heartwarming. My final stop at the SaVon pharmacy placed me in front of an empty can on the register asking for donations for the tsunami. Well, they could not find my prescription, had to dig around the files to get the information to fill it...and I had to wait for about 15 minutes. I did not put anything in the can. I just did not think about it. But when they called my name and said my prescription was ready, I pulled out my wallet and paid for my much needed drugs.

As I was putting my wallet back in my purse and wrapping things up.... a fleeting but vivd vision came to me. It was the video we all saw of that wave crashing into town carrying people, cars, buildings along with it. I thought of what it might have been like to caught in that madness. To be stranded, have nothing, to have lost your family, your children, your parents, your love. The very clothes off your back. All of this ran through my mind in a matter of seconds. I dropped my donation in the empty bucket.

In the time it took for me to move to the side, get my things together and head for the door.. I looked back and noticed that the people behind me placed their donations in the can.

Empty when I arrived, filling as I left...I felt I made a postive change in that little donation can. And maybe those dollars will actually be able to do some good somehow.