Alabama.

Yesterday I made the commitment to go to Alabama with 7 other members of Silent River Kung Fu. In the days leading up to this decision I kept asking myself why would I go? The following is a list of some of the reasons I came up with. These are not rational or thought out but the first thoughts that came into my head. 1) Its a long way from home. 2) You will be surrounded by strangers (except for 7 other people). 3) You don't even know what you will be doing there. 4) How do you explain to your family that you are going away to help strangers. 5) What will you get out of it? The hardest one to overcome was number four. The day we leave is the same day as my son's 21st birthday. That is one of the main reasons why I struggled so much with deciding whether or not to go. There is a sense of guilt over putting a strangers needs ahead of your families but I have determined that I can make it up to my son. Now to answer the question "Why would I go?". Why not. All the reasons I listed are excuses and not reasons. Life is about new experiences and new people. The difference that you can make in a persons day by just giving them a smile or talking to them about their day for a few minutes can have an incredible impact on them. If you read Mrs. Tomie's latest blog you will see what impact such a simple act can have on a person. Now just imagine the difference you can make over 4 days. I have also determined that I have been lacking in my benevolence lately. I was more involved with events/projects done through Silent River Kung Fu in the past (food bank drive, silent auction, lion dances, Kwoon renovations, Pandamonium, etc.). This year, one of the things I am working towards is to take a bigger leadership/participation role in these events and projects. Going to Alabama is the first step in the right direction.