The one who
follows the crowd will usually go no further than the crowd.
The one
who walks alone is likely to find himself in places no one has ever
been before.
~ Albert Einstein
Amyotrophic
lateral sclerosis (ALS), often
referred to as "Lou Gehrig's Disease," is a progressive
neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and
the spinal cord... When the motor neurons die, the ability of the
brain to initiate and control muscle movement is lost.
When I was younger
if I didn't want to do something, rather than wish my comrades well
in their chosen activities and go on my way, I would pout a little
and get angry. Frustrated that things weren't going the way I'd
planned or wanted. I'd like to think that I have grown and matured
past this kind of reaction and behaviour... yet for the last few days
I have been hearing that voice in the back of my head yelling “But
I don't want to dump ice-water over my head!” Complete with fists
clenched, mouth in a pout, and the stomp of a foot.
I have never really
been one to jump too quickly on the fad-band-wagon. Or at least I
have been very selective about which ones I do join. And I have had
mixed feelings about this ALS ice-bucket challenge since the very
first video showed up on my Facebook newsfeed. Knowing a nomination
was at some point inevitable... I vowed to find a diplomatic way of
politely declining, while feeling some camaraderie support among
others who either did the same out-right or with a creative
variation. Like this guy. Or this woman. Or these people.
Truth is I find it
frustrating that, as one friend pointed out over drinks, we are a
people who respond to gimmicks and ploys such as the ice-bucket
challenge; that perhaps in some way we even need them
in order to feel justified in giving of our money, time, talents, etc
to benefit those in need.
I appreciate that a
tremendous amount of awareness and finances have been raised for ALS!
That truly is fantastic, and I do not mean to take away from the
success. In fact even with this blog, conversations about ALS and
donating of time and resources are continuing. But do we really need
to instigate a world-wide dumping of water in order to achieve this?
When so many struggle hourly to find clean drinking water? When our
own natural resources in such a relatively rich country are dwindling
faster than anyone would care to admit?
Despite the raised
awareness – which again I struggle with, as my own experience of
the multiple videos gracing my newsfeed really has taught me nothing
about ALS specifically (until I did my own Google search for this
blog) other than that the organizations supporting and researching
are in need of money; as are so many other non-profit organizations
and charities these days – it seems as though for some of those
videos the donating is secondary to the opportunity to make a video
that was better then the friend who nominated and to become “famous”
on Facebook or even YouTube... if only for a moment.
The only thing ALS
support organizers have done differently than any other charity is
find a gimmick that works. For now...
And good for them! I
have heard from those who participated how fun it was to gather
friends and family together to complete the challenge. I have heard
arguments that it's working, and at least it is something which is
better than nothing. I have heard specific heart-warming stories of
how the surplus of donations has been used to support those
struggling with ALS on a daily basis. And I am glad for all those
things! Please do not let my party-pooper attitude take away from
your own experience of this challenge, nor from the success it has
gained.
But tell me, what
happens next week? Next month? Next year? What happens when everyone
who can be has been nominated and the last of the videos aired? For
all of you who have completed the ice-bucket challenge and made your
one-time donation to support ALS, what will you do next? What will I
do next?
I'd like to see this
gimmick give way to a bigger, deeper challenge for us all:
Don't let the spirit
of fun, something better than nothing, and heart-warming stories of
success fade with the chill that the ice-water gave you. What can
you/we do next?
I used to tithe 10%
of my income every month. A practice I stopped years ago. In
responding to this challenge and my own nomination earlier this week
I am feeling challenged to, in one way shape or form, start doing
that again. Whether it is with regular financial contributions to
various organizations, or giving of some other resource, talent or
excess that I have to share as the Aussie newscaster suggested in the
video link above. The what, how much and where to is likely less
important than the acknowledgment that I have excess; less important
than the awareness of someone other than myself who is in need; less
important than the actual doing of something which is better than
nothing.
And so Big Brother -
“thank you” for the nomination, the opportunity to share my views
on the ice-bucket challenge; and the inspiration to challenge myself
to continue it's spirit in the days to come. I will make a donation
to ALS, but this party-pooper will not be dumping an ice-bucket over
my head. And only in part because I hate the idea of subjecting my
body to ice-cold water!
* I nominate
everyone who has already or will participate in the ALS ice-bucket
challenge to join me in continuing it's spirit in the days to come;
to find your own way of always answering the “What can I do next?”
question!
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