Community
One time, a while ago, Jason asked why I put my pieces into smaller auctions. LJ auctions for people in immediate need, or for my friends' causes, like my annual BARCC donation. Not disparaging that need, of course, but he wanted to know why I didn't donate that money to PFLAG, or the ACLU, or to the other larger, more recognized organizations I strongly support.
On one hand, it of course tugs the heart strings when you know that your money will make an immediate improvement in someone's life. When you have pictures of that person. A first-hand account of that need. You may not be helping many people in little ways, but you're impacting someone, one person, for whom $5 or more may mean the difference between eating dinner or not. Being able to go to a necessary doctor's appointment or not. Losing a beloved furbaby or not. Plus it's a couple of pennies in the karmic piggy bank.
But then again, I thought about it a bit more. I do it because I am a part of a community. You guys, your friends, your friends' friends.... we are a community on this little El of Jay. Sometimes we might fight and argue, but when it comes to getting it done, we join together in the knowledge that our voices are more powerful as a chorus. Even as I'm contemplating jumping ship for the wilds of Dreamwidth, I am reluctant to ever leave here entirely. Ever since I signed up for this journal in 2002 (!), I have been a part of a community. I have made lifelong friends. I have invested in this community, emotionally and with my resources, and I've done my best to pitch in when one of our members had a dire need. Because that's the way that communities function. That's the way families function.
So now, seeing the community throw together for me-- an LJ link here, a tweet there, buying a pair of earrings or a necklace in some cases-- it means more to me than I can say. It means a lot to my family, because Jason is also doing is best to figure out where this money will have to come from. We're calling up and cutting off the premium cable tonight, we're scaling back our budget for our two upcoming (already paid) trips. I'll be ebaying some of the truly *spectacular* labradorite pieces I've got coming in later in the month. I'm going to work extra days at the metals shop. We're going to be using some of the emergency fund we had set aside in case J or I needed medical care. Olive is our family. She counts, and the money will go to her if she needs it. Some way, we're going to make it through this.
Thank you all, so, so much for your support. Things are going to be really scary in the coming days. I'm gonna cry a lot, no doubt. But I have a wall of support behind me, and that really does make a difference.
I have to run to the metals shop for work today, but before I do, here's a pic of Olivebean from last night, in all her sacked-out glory:
On one hand, it of course tugs the heart strings when you know that your money will make an immediate improvement in someone's life. When you have pictures of that person. A first-hand account of that need. You may not be helping many people in little ways, but you're impacting someone, one person, for whom $5 or more may mean the difference between eating dinner or not. Being able to go to a necessary doctor's appointment or not. Losing a beloved furbaby or not. Plus it's a couple of pennies in the karmic piggy bank.
But then again, I thought about it a bit more. I do it because I am a part of a community. You guys, your friends, your friends' friends.... we are a community on this little El of Jay. Sometimes we might fight and argue, but when it comes to getting it done, we join together in the knowledge that our voices are more powerful as a chorus. Even as I'm contemplating jumping ship for the wilds of Dreamwidth, I am reluctant to ever leave here entirely. Ever since I signed up for this journal in 2002 (!), I have been a part of a community. I have made lifelong friends. I have invested in this community, emotionally and with my resources, and I've done my best to pitch in when one of our members had a dire need. Because that's the way that communities function. That's the way families function.
So now, seeing the community throw together for me-- an LJ link here, a tweet there, buying a pair of earrings or a necklace in some cases-- it means more to me than I can say. It means a lot to my family, because Jason is also doing is best to figure out where this money will have to come from. We're calling up and cutting off the premium cable tonight, we're scaling back our budget for our two upcoming (already paid) trips. I'll be ebaying some of the truly *spectacular* labradorite pieces I've got coming in later in the month. I'm going to work extra days at the metals shop. We're going to be using some of the emergency fund we had set aside in case J or I needed medical care. Olive is our family. She counts, and the money will go to her if she needs it. Some way, we're going to make it through this.
Thank you all, so, so much for your support. Things are going to be really scary in the coming days. I'm gonna cry a lot, no doubt. But I have a wall of support behind me, and that really does make a difference.
I have to run to the metals shop for work today, but before I do, here's a pic of Olivebean from last night, in all her sacked-out glory: