Place Your Bids!!!

It's quarter auction time! I have been so engrossed in this and I've discovered that I actually can speak up and ask for things. I am not, nor have I ever been, a fan of public speaking. I do not like to ask for things. I am the one who will sit quietly, knowing the answer, and let a speaker stare across a silent group of listeners for fear of speaking up. But these past few weeks, I have learned to step beyond my comfort zone a bit further and speak. All in all, it's worked quite well.

Sure, I've faced rejections. Not everyone is in the mood to donate, others have met their monthly donation budget and still others don't support the cause you are collecting for. All of that is ok as long as I remember to thank people for their time - they are business people and they have taken time away from their business to listen to me talk - and respect their business decision.

Overall, I have been overwhelmed by the generosity of the individuals behind the businesses that operate in these small towns around here. In a world that often seems very cold, distant and disconnected through all its connectivity, there truly are some tender and giving hearts. What this pushed me to realize is that I can do more. Not just with this situation, but in others as well.

Giving isn't always about money, you see. What about your talent? What about your time? Time. That's the hot commodity these days. Nobody seems to have enough of it. After I read the statement about giving generously, I decided to make another personal donation to the quarter auction, not only because it was a gift of my time and my talent, but because it is based on the same thought.

Because really, a hundred years from now, it will matter that I was important in the life of a child!