Comments
Suck it Up
It’s just been christmas, we’ve just had a recession, we’re feeling the pinch.
We’ve been inundated with national disasters. We all banded together to the Boxing Day Tsunami, we watched in horror at New Orleans after a hurricane, we cried along with our friends in Samoa when we saw another flood of water devastate a country…
When I have been watching scenes from Haiti, it’s sort of hard to not just add them to the face of misery we have become so aquatinted to. Another disaster, another group of people who have lost everything. It’s sort of easy to feel like you have already helped.
I almost talked myself out of donating this time. I have a newly acquired mortgage, January is a slowish month, I feel like I’m always dipping into my wallet for some money for people in need.
Then horror hit. I HAVE a mortgage, I have a house. I go out for drinks and dinner several nights a week. While people are sleeping on the streets covered in rubble.
It’s so easy to be come desensatised. It’s so easy to forget that our version of struggling is a lot different than theirs.
I only donated $50. It doesn’t feel like enough. What I have decided to do is this:
Every time for the next 2 weeks that I plan to go out for dinner or drinks or movies or any entertainment, I will donate the same amount to the rebuild effort. This actually may well also make me realise what’s important to me and that it’s not constant spending.
Hello, my name is Natalie, I have a business called 
January 18th, 2010 at 2:38 pm
Nice one Nat :)
January 18th, 2010 at 5:11 pm
That’s such a cool idea!
January 19th, 2010 at 1:26 am
Bravo to you, Nat. And always bear in mind that whatever you give, however small the amount you think it is, it’s better than nothing. At least you’re giving.
I’m reading this for one of my Public Service classes. It’s jarringly appropriate, and I highly recommend it:
http://textpublishing.com.au/books-and-authors/book/the-life-you-can-save
January 19th, 2010 at 9:20 am
Oooh I’m going to buy it.
The joys of having a blog is you can publicise the things you *want* to do so you stick with it due to peer pressure.
And Lee, of course the money is all going through Givealittle (as did the donations from my friends :))
January 19th, 2010 at 11:20 am
I really like this idea Nat – it’s awesome!
January 19th, 2010 at 11:52 am
book purchased will be in my office within 38 days (ha ha h amazon was the only place I could find it) – but now i realised i should have just bought it off your link Claire.
January 20th, 2010 at 1:21 am
No worries, I did the same. :) And luckily 5% will still go to Hamlin Fistula Relief & Aid Fund (you’ll read about it in the book). It may seem a little heavy-handed at first, but get through the first chapter and you’ll realize it’s only because it’s really trying to get your mind used to thinking this way.
January 20th, 2010 at 1:22 am
Oh! And Oxfam too!
January 20th, 2010 at 12:22 pm
In a totally thoughtless manner yesterday Luke and I both ran out of the house to work. We had stayed in bed to long, basically because we couldn’t be bothered. Upon arriving home last night it transpired that we had both forgotten our keys. A locksmith, 2 hours and $220 later it seemed only fair that we match that with a donation to Haiti.
January 20th, 2010 at 2:03 pm
Ouch! Yes, my ‘quick wine with Graeme’ yesterday turned into an all afternoon/evening affair.
I think this is a good exercise in realising how much money we SPEND through stupid mistakes and on entertaining ourselves.
January 28th, 2010 at 12:18 pm
Don’t be so hard on yourself, and consider the bigger picture. You have the capacity to do only so much, and you do not always know the impact you have on others. The Graeme in your wine affair may have well felt so inspired by the conversation, rare moment of sunshine and warmth (he so loves) in WGN, and opportunity to recharge that he embarked upon the next day and week in his business with a freshness that translated to new business and a greater financial ability and keenness to give back to others. You too may have been invigorated.
Just a fictional story that tells another side.