The Quirks of Charity or Starting Small

I've spent the past few weeks in places I didn't expect to be. Helping people (almost) willingly, giving away my food to strangers, maybe even just throwing heavy equipment on a truck. I help and serve people everyday because it's my job. I am far from any sort of grand person. They pay me most of the time. Yet recently...I've helped people because I had the time and was in the place, and there was a problem I was able to solve.

It's reminded me what the whole season is supposed to be about. Giving, as in not taking.

I didn't buy anything on Black Friday. For once I proudly participated in the fine art of spending nothing for one day. For the next week I only bought gas, milk, and three donuts (they were delicious). It was freeing like no other. I didn't have to go anywhere, to grab some item, for some person, so it can be ignored.

You probably won't get a present from me this year. I've got something better. It's called help. Let me make your dinner for you, watch your kids, or maybe perform a one man show because you can't afford that broadway ticket. All I can give you is my time, and my heart.


This year I owe so much to people, and I still have mass amounts of debt. I know crazy, huh...a college student with debt. But this isn't an effort to stay cheap this year. It's an effort to live a little bit of life without money as a focus. It's a chance to pay off debt selling the many things I never needed, and to give money to people who will use it to buy time.

Be it a longer life span, a safer water supply, or that roof they always wanted.

Can you imagine asking Santa for a new roof?

I'm starting small, but I have a lifetime of things to sell and a lot of work to do. I'm only giving away 20%, but everything else has long been accounted for by those I owe.

Another day.

(Maybe someday I'll explain the new blog madness)