do not crumple, scar, or mess up

Here's a story you may have heard before. It's about a teacher who was telling her class about bullying and gave them an exercise to perform. She had the children take a piece of paper and told them to crumple it up, stamp on it and really mess it up, but not to rip it. Then she had them unfold the paper, smooth it out and look at how scarred and dirty it was. She then told them to tell it they’re sorry.

Sometimes a child who is bullied will later receive apologies, but the damage is done. In this exercise, even though they said they were sorry and tried to fix the paper, she pointed out all the scars they left behind. And that those scars will never go away no matter how hard they tried to fix it. That is what happens when a child bullies another child - they may say they’re sorry, but the scars are there forever.

Hardly a day goes by when I don't see something about bullying. The It Gets Better Project has done some amazing videos aimed particularly at lgbtq youth. Let me be clear though. While gay kids are so often the targets of bullies, ALL bullying is bad. We need to get rid of it ALL.

The kids in that classroom learned an important lesson. The looks on the faces of the children told their teacher that the message had indeed hit home. I hope this hits home with all of you too!  Last week I wrote each day here about bullying, because it is important.  WE can make a difference. Bullying must STOP!

one small spark

Jason Chu said it himself: "one small spark can light the whole night. So one small life can fight the good fight." This has not been the greatest year for so many of us, but Jason keeps on encouraging us. Jason keeps lighting those sparks. Jason keep fighting the good fight.

If this seems like a bit of déjà vu, yes I have indeed written here before about Jason. Based in Los Angeles, he is a rapper, poet, activist, storyteller, and an encourager. He keeps pretty busy too, even during the pandemic.  I find myself checking out his youtube videos over and over. 

He didn't just begin being active.  Over the years, Jason has done a lot.  He performed at the Obama White House, opened for Snoop Dogg, has written and recorded a lot of music, oh and he has a degree in Philosophy from Yale. Despite his many accomplishments though, he stays grounded and is kind, caring, and down-to-earth.  His lyrics can be fun and uplifting and he also can encourage, and make us think.

To me, Jason is the very definition of hero. He makes a difference. We all should be encouraged by him ad follow his lead. To quote him once again, "But I’ve learned: a hero isn’t about being super We become heroes because of what makes us human."

The Balloons

I find this very easy to write this Wednesday morning because I'm going to share someone else's story.  I have no idea who wrote this.  It's one of those things you find on the internet from time to time.

One day a professor gave a balloon to each of her students, who had to inflate it, write their name on it, and throw it in the hallway. The professor then mixed all the balloons and gave the students five minutes to find their own balloon. There was a hectic search, but nobody found their own balloon. 

It was then that the professor told the students to take any balloon and give it to the person whose name was written on it. In just minutes, everyone had found their own balloon. 

The professor then told them "These balloons are like happiness. We will never find it if everyone is only looking for their own. When we care about other people's happiness, we'll find ours too."

This is a story about sharing and about working together and about caring.  As I said, I didn't come up with the idea, but I hope it has some meaning to you.

money from the sky

How wonderful it would be if money simply fell from the sky!  As you are well aware though, it does not!

 

How do homeless shelters operate?  Where does the money come from to take care of feeding the hungry or clothing those who cannot afford to buy clothes?  How do churches pay their bills?  What keeps the doors open at neighborhood free clinics?  How do help-agencies find the means to keep on going?  It takes money.  Yes, it takes desire and a willingness to do something, and volunteering is important, and the numerous paid employees of non-profits certainly are needed, but the big thing that is common is funding.  Where does that money come from?

 

The answer is that it comes, at least in part, from folks like me and you.  It doesn't rain down from heaven and many of us - probably most of us, cannot afford to give as much or as often as we would like.  So, here's an idea:  make a plan.  Set aside some money as you are able.  This is giveaway money.  Now choose where to give it.  Do you want to spread it out or give it all to one place?  Do you want to give more to one type of organization than to another?

 

How can you set money aside for this?  Well, do you really need that midday ice-cream?  Can you skip the afternoon latte?  Is it possible to spend a little less at the grocery store (perhaps checking the sale ads and also using coupons)?  If we all tighten our belts just a bit, we can have some of that giveaway money and for organizations in great need, it can be like money from the sky!

Change the World

Listening to Eric Clapton sing Change the World, I find myself thinking of all the many things I would love to do. Clapton's song is really a love song, but it's from the motion picture Phenomenon and the film was about someone who indeed changed the world.

 

A couple of wonderful scenes from the movie stick in my mind. In on of them, the lead character George Malley asks his love interest Lace Pennamin, "Hey, would you, uh, love me for the rest of my life?" Her response: "No, I'm gonna love you for the rest of mine." In another scene, George is trying to comfort the two small children of Lace, who have just learned that he is dying. George uses an apple as a metaphor, saying that no matter what, an apple will rot and die if thrown on the ground, but if you were to take a bite out of it, the apple would become a part of you, and you would carry it with you forever. I really love that way of looking at it. He is essentially saying that he will therefore live forever.

 

From a Clapton song to a major film, there are different ways of looking at leaving a piece of yourself behind, and of changing the world.  If we all do something that becomes a part of others, we will in a sense, live forever.  Of course, we don't try to do good or change the world, just so we will have immortality.  We do it to benefit our families and our friends and other loved ones.  We all can change the world!

What do YOU think?

My thoughts and the ideas I put forth each day in this space, are not the only concepts out there. Yes, I make suggestions on how we might all help make this a better world, but are my ideas any good? Are there better ways? Your sentiments are worth hearing too, even if we might not agree with them.

I have said this before, and will likely say it many more times, but even though this blog is NOT about me, it is written by me, and therefore is heavy laden with my opinion. What about yours though? You much have thoughts on the subjects I post here. Do you agree with me or disagree? Let's hear YOUR opinion too!

Right under the last line I write each day it says "blogged by Michael Fullam at time." Right next to that you will see a place where you can comment. I'd really love to hear your opinion. I'm sure many people would like to look at the thoughts of others as well.

So, after all these years, you pretty much know what I think about a LOT of things. You have read countless suggestions from me and I've told you about good deeds and folks I consider inspirations to me. Now, take a moment or two and tell me what YOU think!

Do you need a compass?

What do I do? Where shall I go? What comes next? Does my life have any sort of purpose of direction? Well, if you are asking yourself these questions, it's a good thing. Every once in a while, it is important for each of us to take stock of ourselves and look not only at where we have been, but where we are going. Sometimes change is a good idea. Do you need some help? Do you need a compass? There is nothing wrong with reaching out to others to try to decide your path.

 

Family and friends can be a great resource in helping to determine with way to go.  When a loss within your family has gotten you asking these questions, it might be even more important to lean on each other, so to speak.  They are not the only resource though.  Some of us have tons of friends and great big families.  Others are a bit more alone.  There are professionals who also can be of great benefits.  Counselors, clergy, health care workers, attorneys, teachers, and others might help guide you when you find yourself questioning what comes next.  Getting involved in support groups can sometimes be of benefit too.

 

The library used to be a great place for finding information.  It still is, of course, but now we also have the internet where we can find answers to our questions in seconds.  Sometimes these answers are all we need as our compass.

 

Nobody should ever have to go through life feeling lost or confused.  Life is more than just being alive, and we all have a purpose.  Find yours.  Life will be so much richer once you know the path you are taking!