Stop. And Think. And Feel. And Do What You Believe Is Right.

I received this a few days ago from someone who is quite important to me and very rarely do I get the urge to share an email here with you. But really, this is more than just an email.

Friends,

It's nice to reach out and contact each of you again. I hope this email finds all of you safe and well. This is something I have put a lot of thought into these last few days and if you love me or any other living being, I urge you to take this seriously.

Two days ago, a major earthquake struck India, Pakistan, the Kashmir region and parts of Afghanistan. Tens of thousands of people are dead and many more are injured, homeless, orphaned or sick. Much of the infrastructure is in ruins. Relief efforts are underway but there is much to be done.

These are people, like you and I, who get hungry, lonely, cold. They are people who want to laugh, make love and have fun. They have feelings, fears and dreams, just like we do.

But there's a difference.

We have homes, we have heat, we have closets filled with clothes, 40 pairs of shoes.
We spend most of our time on the Internet or in front of the TV and feel like our world is coming to an end when the power goes out.
We have freezers full of frozen meat and french fries while we sit here and get fat on McDonald's and Kentucky Fried Chicken.
We whine and complain when we don't get our way, when we have to take a goddamn bus, when the gas goes up, when we don't get the Christmas present we want.

Take a moment to think about what you really have and give thanks for the fortunate stroke of luck placed your birth in North America (or Europe for a few of you).

There are people with no shelter, huddling together for warmth somewhere in the world right now. They are hungry and don't have much extra body fat because they never lived the life of gluttony and excess that WE ARE living right now. There are injured people who need to be tended and sick people who need to be treated.

Is your tuition more important than that? Is another outfit to wear to a bar or club? Your next case of beer? The cost of gas to take you to a friend's house?

We are all living extremely selfish lives. Here is your chance to actually make a difference in the world. Can you imagine if all of us gave just 1/100th of what we own, what an impact we could have for so many other people?

I am calling on each and every one of you, as human beings, to imagine what it might be like to live in India or Pakistan right now.
We can help.

I am making a $250 donation to CARE Canada. This is money that could go toward my tuition. It could go toward partying and having a good time. I could put it toward taking my girlfriend someplace nice. I don't have 'extra money'.

But there is not the slightest doubt in my mind that this is the right thing to do. We can all make room in our budget for this. There are people in this world who will never have the opportunity to help out, the opportunity we have right now.

I am asking you, as friends and fellow humans, to make donations with me. Even if it's only $25 or $50, every penny will help someone who needs it a lot more than you need another luxury. Every selfless act serves to make this world a better place. If you like, when you make a donation, write to me and let me know how much you have decided to donate. This will allow us to keep track of our combined effort. Together, we can accomplish something great. If you believe, as I do, that this is a good cause, please forward this email on to your other friends and family.

"We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give."
- Winston Churchill

Stop.

And think. You're reading this from a computer screen. You have a computer, or at the very least, access to one. There are people out there right now who have access to nothing.

And feel. What would you do if you were there?

I don't mean to preach or be condescending. I want to share with you. I want to remind you. I know that a lot of you already know these things - there are people less fortunate than we, we are a consumerist society, we live in excess, it's just the way we are. I know. But do you ever feel like you can change that?

I just donated $265 to UNICEF. That money was supposed to buy me another skydive jump. Another. I've already had one. I've already had one or more of a lot of things. That donation is now worth double: The Canadian government has committed to match all public donations for earthquake relief to registered Canadian charities over the next two weeks.

Take a breath. And do what you believe is right.
10:49 am