Good, quick read for those of us bogged down by too much to do and no idea where to start.
Reminds me of focusing on the important things I most love, and not frittering away my time - and more importantly, my energy - on things I "should" do (as deemed by myself or others).
Enjoy!
~Ally
Showing posts with label priorities. Show all posts
Showing posts with label priorities. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Sharin' the burrito lovin'
So I decided to "pay it forward" today, when I saw a homeless man with his hand-scrawled cardboard sign saying, "Anything will help. God bless" standing outside on the coldest night of the year. It has been between -15 and 5 degrees Fahrenheit for the last few days in Concord, and it is bitterly cold.
He stood bundled up in the coats he had, at a busy traffic intersection by a strip mall. I did not have any cash - I rarely do anymore, now that most places take a credit/debit card. I rustled through the car looking for my pregnancy snacks - which at this point, consist of a mostly-eaten bag of trail mix, a frozen solid granola bar, and a few frozen water bottles. Not exactly helpful. I thought, "Do I hand him my emergency pair of socks or Dad's IOWA sweatshirt to keep warm?" What is the right thing to do in these situations - I never know. I do know that doing nothing is rarely an option, and I would rather err on the side of gullible and taken advantage of than cold-hearted and blind to the suffering around me.
So you give a 'bum' $20 and he spends it on alcohol. Well, what if he spends it on food to feed his freezing children who are huddled under the bridge in a cardboard box, and likely will not make it through this cold night? That's a chance I am willing to take.
This man is my community, my neighbor, in my town. He is 'my people.' And there are plenty of homeless folks in Concord, all quite chilly tonight. There are a few homeless shelters, and yes, not everyone takes advantage of them. It is statistically true that many homeless people suffer from various forms of mental illness. Does this make them not worthy of warmth, shelter, clothes on their back or food in their bellies? If their pride or insanity keeps them from going to a shelter, does this mean that freezing to death is justified?
So what I did, misdirected or not, was swing around the block, get Scott's and my dinner at Boloco as planned, and pick up a $10 Boloco gift card for the homeless man. I thought, burrito: sustaining rice, fresh vegetables, hearty meat - hot meal that can be eaten with the hands and without utensils (or pretense)...what's not to love? This whole process took about 5 minutes.
I drove back through the previous intersection, snow piled high on both sides, and he was gone. This has happened to me before, and I don't know (karmically) what it means.
But now I drive around town with my Boloco gift card, ready to be handed out the window the next time I see one of my Concord neighbors suffering in this blistering cold winter weather. I encourage you to do the same.
burrito gift card: $10. minutes spent getting a gift card: 5. saving a life (or just warming a heart for a minute, showing someone you care about their existence in this world): priceless.
Pass it on.
~Ally
p.s. Tonight we tried the Bangkok Thai burrito with chicken and the Classic Mexican with pork - yummmmm-tastic! Scott wanted to drive back to town to get more, though he was full! He especially loved the Thai, and so did I.
He stood bundled up in the coats he had, at a busy traffic intersection by a strip mall. I did not have any cash - I rarely do anymore, now that most places take a credit/debit card. I rustled through the car looking for my pregnancy snacks - which at this point, consist of a mostly-eaten bag of trail mix, a frozen solid granola bar, and a few frozen water bottles. Not exactly helpful. I thought, "Do I hand him my emergency pair of socks or Dad's IOWA sweatshirt to keep warm?" What is the right thing to do in these situations - I never know. I do know that doing nothing is rarely an option, and I would rather err on the side of gullible and taken advantage of than cold-hearted and blind to the suffering around me.
So you give a 'bum' $20 and he spends it on alcohol. Well, what if he spends it on food to feed his freezing children who are huddled under the bridge in a cardboard box, and likely will not make it through this cold night? That's a chance I am willing to take.
This man is my community, my neighbor, in my town. He is 'my people.' And there are plenty of homeless folks in Concord, all quite chilly tonight. There are a few homeless shelters, and yes, not everyone takes advantage of them. It is statistically true that many homeless people suffer from various forms of mental illness. Does this make them not worthy of warmth, shelter, clothes on their back or food in their bellies? If their pride or insanity keeps them from going to a shelter, does this mean that freezing to death is justified?
So what I did, misdirected or not, was swing around the block, get Scott's and my dinner at Boloco as planned, and pick up a $10 Boloco gift card for the homeless man. I thought, burrito: sustaining rice, fresh vegetables, hearty meat - hot meal that can be eaten with the hands and without utensils (or pretense)...what's not to love? This whole process took about 5 minutes.
I drove back through the previous intersection, snow piled high on both sides, and he was gone. This has happened to me before, and I don't know (karmically) what it means.
But now I drive around town with my Boloco gift card, ready to be handed out the window the next time I see one of my Concord neighbors suffering in this blistering cold winter weather. I encourage you to do the same.
burrito gift card: $10. minutes spent getting a gift card: 5. saving a life (or just warming a heart for a minute, showing someone you care about their existence in this world): priceless.
Pass it on.
~Ally
p.s. Tonight we tried the Bangkok Thai burrito with chicken and the Classic Mexican with pork - yummmmm-tastic! Scott wanted to drive back to town to get more, though he was full! He especially loved the Thai, and so did I.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Something to Think About
I read a tip today on Confessions of a Wandering Soul:
When you wake up in the morning, fill in the blank:
"My purpose is to _____ today."
Could change everything!
~Ally
[I think my purpose today was to give my heart to my grief support group, and I did. That feels good.]
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Thoughts on a Saturday Night
1. Scott and I are so lucky that our best friends had a beautiful boy baby, and let us take care of him tonight - his first adventures with a babysitter. It was wonderful for us, and hopefully nice for the mom and dad to have date again after seven months.
2. We are also thankful that we can still relate to them and spend time together - the presence of a baby (and their becoming mom and dad) didn't render us speechless with nothing left in common, as sometimes happens. Thank you, L & C.
3. Scott is going to make a wonderful father to potential future children of ours. He has a gentle and kind way with children, and babies really love him. (He was/is a great father to Hillary, and a v fun grandpa to Matthew.)
4. Cats are way easier to take care of than dogs. [No offense, Buddy.] You can throw some kibble down, leave a light on, and be gone for several hours with no harm done. Very freeing really.
5. Facebook is a very odd place and cultural phenomenon. It is astounding how you can suddenly connect to your elementary school chums and in a week be sharing 5th grade class photos and laughing over who looked most like a dork in grade school. It is also thrilling to "meet" someone who used to be the briefest acquaintance in a lifetime you no longer remember...who has the potential to become a real friend, since you now share so much in common. Life grows us up in strange ways, does it not?
6. Your hairstyle from the previous decade is destined to embarrass you. [Though I refuse to regret my 90's split-level perm.]
7. I finally found a way that works for me to talk to my old long-lost friends: schedule (and keep) a one hour phone date.
8. No matter what we lose in this dismal economy and these Shrinking Wallet Days, as long as we have our love, our friends and family, and our health, we will be fine. More than fine. Dandy. ;)
9. Scott is my true and everlasting love. Thank you, Babe.
10. Fast food is gross. No matter how good it sometimes tastes.
I am grateful for a full life, for the good and not-so-tender memories of the past, and for the many thousands of ways I have been allowed to connect with family, friends, and loved ones - not excluding dreams. I appreciated seeing Dad and Grandpa C. in my dream last night. Miss you both.
What's rattling around in your brain?
~Ally
2. We are also thankful that we can still relate to them and spend time together - the presence of a baby (and their becoming mom and dad) didn't render us speechless with nothing left in common, as sometimes happens. Thank you, L & C.
3. Scott is going to make a wonderful father to potential future children of ours. He has a gentle and kind way with children, and babies really love him. (He was/is a great father to Hillary, and a v fun grandpa to Matthew.)
4. Cats are way easier to take care of than dogs. [No offense, Buddy.] You can throw some kibble down, leave a light on, and be gone for several hours with no harm done. Very freeing really.
5. Facebook is a very odd place and cultural phenomenon. It is astounding how you can suddenly connect to your elementary school chums and in a week be sharing 5th grade class photos and laughing over who looked most like a dork in grade school. It is also thrilling to "meet" someone who used to be the briefest acquaintance in a lifetime you no longer remember...who has the potential to become a real friend, since you now share so much in common. Life grows us up in strange ways, does it not?
6. Your hairstyle from the previous decade is destined to embarrass you. [Though I refuse to regret my 90's split-level perm.]
7. I finally found a way that works for me to talk to my old long-lost friends: schedule (and keep) a one hour phone date.
8. No matter what we lose in this dismal economy and these Shrinking Wallet Days, as long as we have our love, our friends and family, and our health, we will be fine. More than fine. Dandy. ;)
9. Scott is my true and everlasting love. Thank you, Babe.
10. Fast food is gross. No matter how good it sometimes tastes.
I am grateful for a full life, for the good and not-so-tender memories of the past, and for the many thousands of ways I have been allowed to connect with family, friends, and loved ones - not excluding dreams. I appreciated seeing Dad and Grandpa C. in my dream last night. Miss you both.
What's rattling around in your brain?
~Ally
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