Death of a Catalyst

Posted on October 25th, 2005 by George.
Categories: Uncategorized.

“Are you going to stand up?” the bus driver asked.

“No,” Rosa Parks answered.

“Well, by God, I’m going to have you arrested,” the driver said.

“You may do that,” Parks responded.

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“I am leaving this legacy to all of you … to bring peace, justice, equality, love and a fulfillment of what our lives should be. Without vision, the people will perish, and without courage and inspiration, dreams will die — the dream of freedom and peace.”

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Thank you, Mrs. Parks. May you rest in the peace of the dream you upheld.

The fire doesn’t die with the spark. So answer me this: how far have we come? How far must we still go? I await your comments.

5 comments.

Dreamflight

Posted on October 23rd, 2005 by George.
Categories: Uncategorized.

There has been some understandable curiosity expressed regarding the most recent photos on the moblog. I’m sure several of you have been wondering what the garish orange t-shirts are all about. The answer: yesterday I was a Tigger.

My friends Christy, Fred and I volunteered for a group out of the UK known as Dreamflight. From their site:

Dreamflight is a registered UK charity whose purpose is to send seriously ill children on their ‘holiday of a lifetime’ to Florida. While many charities devote their energies to funding long term research projects or the purchase of medical equipment,we think it is just as important to bring some fun and joy into the lives of children who perhaps can’t wait long enough for the breakthrough they need or whose illnesses and treatments have brought pain distress and disruption to their lives.

Props go to Christy for discovering the need for local volunteers. We acted as “dailies,” or those who donate time for only one or two days. Our job was to accompany the group to various theme parks in Orlando, pushing wheelchairs, interacting with the kids, running errands and generally supporting the full-time staff of doctors, nurses, and volunteers from the UK.

The kids are grouped according to their home region. Christy and I, both assigned as Tiggers, had the pleasure of joining kids from the northeast, mostly from the Newcastle area. The accent is strong, heavily influenced by nearby Scotland, and chock full of so much slang that it often sounds like another language. The best part is that while American English seems infinitely understandable to them, their thick brogue can be all but incomprehensible, especially when mumbled at a high rate of speed. Luckily I’ve had enough friends from the UK to pick it up relatively quickly, indeed sporting an accent of my own by the end of the day. Poor Christy took a little while longer, and often looked to me for translations. I was not always able to help.

I can’t speak for Fred, who was assigned to the Goofies, but our group was so energetic and full of life that it was less an accompaniment and more of a race to keep up. The spirit of the Tiggers was infectious, spilling over into call-and-response cheers, dancing, smiling, and unbridled laughter. Their quick British wit and sly sense of humor made the day all the more hilarious. Indeed, their outward appearance belied their true nature; I would have much rather spent the day with these kids than some whose good health and endless privilege have rendered them unappreciative.

I hesitate to even label the day “volunteering.” In reality it’s just a day of making new friends. The rate at which you become attached to these children is astonishing. After a while you even stop seeing them as stoic little soldiers facing the pain of illness; they’re just kids on holiday enjoying life.

Several of my new mates asked if I would be returning tomorrow for their last day. It was more than a little difficult to explain I was only there for Saturday. The knowledge that we’ll probably never see one another again is even now difficult to bear; but it only makes me cherish the time we had together all the more. I’m seriously considering volunteering as a weekly next year. Still, it seems a little unfair. I know I got far more out of yesterday than the Tiggers got from me.

2 comments.

Reincarnation

Posted on October 13th, 2005 by George.
Categories: Uncategorized.

UPDATE! Celly has given up the ghost, but not before giving up his contents. There was a soul transfer from Celly to my new phone, TYRONE, so thanks to all of you who emailed your phone numbers, but your info is intact. I will now back it up online and with an SD card as soon as I can bounce back from the expense.

Verizon hit me pretty hard with this one. Celly (rest his soul) was out of one-year warranty in August, but the “New Every Two” plan only kicks in when two actual years have passed. Imagine that. So that’s a $100 rebate down the drain. I wanted an equal or better phone, but equal doesn’t exist anymore since the models have been updated. A similar Samsung was available for $200, but the slick salesman sold me on the $300 with the QWERTY keyboard and all the bells and whistles. They did throw in a discounted bluetooth headset so I can be like Greg. And the phone includes a 1.3 megapixel camera (not much, I know, but four times better than Celly’s 0.3 megapixel) that will allow me to kick it up a notch with the moblog.

Now don’t get bent out of shape, Mom and Dad. I think I can absorb the cost if I go into Ramen mode this month (October is shaping up to be hella expensive). And besides. I’m in love with Tyrone.

You know you better call

7 comments.

We are experiencing technical difficulties

Posted on October 12th, 2005 by George.
Categories: Uncategorized.

So poor lil’ celly is on the fritz. Turn it on, it says low battery and shuts off. Try to charge the battery, and it overheats. Went to the phone company this evening and they said come back tomorrow when the tech is in. FYI: I don’t have a house line. So for at least 20 hours, I am off the radar. Scarier than that prospect is the possibility that I may not be able to retrieve the 300+ phone numbers on the cell. Which are not backed up. I can’t believe Delara and I were just talking about this yesterday and now it’s happened.

There is a strong possibility I may have to purchase a new phone tomorrow and repopulate the contacts. This is where I could use your help. As a preemptive move I’d sincerely appreciate if you emailed me your phone numbers. Work, cell, home, all of them. If I can retrieve them from my current phone, we won’t have to worry about it. But if not, I can get a head start on all the finger-walking.

1 comment.

Futility

Posted on October 6th, 2005 by George.
Categories: Uncategorized.

I spent the better part of this afternoon being chewed up and spit out by the Atlantic Ocean. There are some times when all the determination in the world won’t get you past the breakers if you aren’t prepared (read: I need to replace my stolen boardfins). When it comes to me vs. nature, there is no shortage of stubborness (those of you who have ever watched me try to light a campfire with wet wood can testify to that). This can be frustrating when, in answer to my appetite for trial, Mother Nature happily serves up an infinite platter of challenge with a side of indifference. What does it say that I have to be ground into the sea floor for an hour before I give up? I can hear it now, “That means you’re slow, junior.”

Oh well. At least I can look forward to taking my boardburn to Chicago tomorrow. That’s right, people, the party begins at 9:30pm! I cannot convey how excited I am. Even the use of italics until the end of this post is inadequate.

2 comments.