CHALLENGE.....Forward March!

We have one week until the face of America changes. A new leader of the free world will be crowned. We all get our moment of say, our chance to stand in a curtained booth and vote however we want. It is our individual moment that comes every 4 years to nudge the leader of our choice closer to what is arguably the world population's most powerful thrown. There it ends. Usually.
Really? Truly?
Does the person living in the big white house across the country really, truly affect my day-to-day life? Does he/she make me feel better when I balance my check book? (um....because I balance my check book.....um....and I am really organized like that) Do the powers that be in Washington ever consider coming over to take care of a mouse for me? In all actuality, a day filled with comments on this blog makes me smile and brings more simple joy than seeing my candidate of choice win an election. Did I really just admit that?
Sure, politics and the powers that be have a very necessary role in society. But, so do I. So do you.
Thanks to our good friend Oprah- whom I would love to watch daily while eating bon bons on my couch, but don't because of the daily 4 o'clock meltdown that inevitably occurs in all households with small children- the phenomenon of "Pay it Forward" gains momentum every year. Currently the media is obsessed with the doom and gloom that is our world. But really, our world isn't doom and gloom. There is goodness out there- lots of it! And, surprise! It isn't all that hard to find. It is here. And here. And over there.
Kirsten, AKA blogger "Kiddle97" has challenged her readers to take on Pay it Forward. Kirsten always leaves funny, witty comments. She has little pet names for her family. She calls her son Meister and Smoochorno. How great is she?!
Most of us don't have a huge interaction with the world population. Seriously though, do you realize how easily we can reach the masses? And for free? This is coming from a girl who spent her career days taking money from people to get their message out, (advertising).
Think of all the wonderful email forwards you get from friends, and your friend's second cousin's friend's Aunt, once removed, whom you have become best friends with through blogging. Think of all the names you scroll through to get to the actual email message and all of the names in the blog rolls. Really, easily we can make a difference. Really, easily we can spread the word.

CHALLENGE.....Forward March

Pay it Forward this week. It can be simple. It can be letting people merge into your lane during rush hour. It can be big. It can be giving the single mom struggling to make ends meet an anonymous donation.

Spread the word. While blog surfing/stalking/lurking earlier today, (not that I do this often....I mean, I usually only look at the blogs of good friends....never at old boy friends' blogs or friend of a friend blogs or complete stranger's blogs....oh, no, not me....and I am sure not you.) I came across a post regarding the holidays. I would post the link, but since I uncharacteristically was blog hopping, I don't have any idea where I found it. Anyhow, the poster discussed the getting, getting, getting of the holidays- up until the week of Christmas. Then there is 7 days out of the year where we think about giving.
Why not start early? How hard would it be to give a little extra treating this week? To actually give something more than a few canned goods before Thanksgiving?

Last week, I was driving through town. It was a very cold, windy day. There was a woman, obviously limping from injury, weighted down with grocery sacks, trudging down the street. Now, picking up complete strangers is not exactly the smartest thing for a mom, alone with small children to do, but I did pull over. I think the lady thought I was crazy. She politely refused my offer of help. But, I like to think that maybe, just maybe, it made her day that someone attempted to help. Maybe, just maybe she offered to help someone else in return. Maybe, just maybe she didn't think I was crazy?

If it is possible, whatever good deed you decide to do, end it with a "Pay it Forward" note or answer to somebodies thanks. Imagine....we really, really can make a difference. Maybe not to Iraq, Iran, Barrack or John, but definitely to someone who needs it, lots of someones.
A lot of you read. You don't necessarily comment, which is fine, but I know a lot of you read. If each person that reads this today begins to Pay it Forward this week, we could literally make a difference in the life of thousands of people within a few weeks, maybe even days.

Oh, la, la. There I go again, trying to save the world, right? Here is the great thing though- we can. We really, really can.

Anyone in? Have any good ideas for the rest of us?