Invest 26 Minutes!

Wow!!!  Wow!!!  Wow!!!

As many of you know through first hand knowledge or from having read my writings, my grandfather was very influential in my life.  He did his best to teach me the importance of being a caring and generous person.  He encouraged me to give back to my community, and to always help those who are less fortunate.  He also taught me that charity starts at home.  Well today I consider myself to be a caring and generous person.  I try to live my life in a way that allows me to keep the 6 areas of life in balance (Spiritual, Family, Financial, Social, Mental, and Physical).   I try to help those who are less fortunate, however I've always thought 1st is God, 2nd is country (taxes), 3rd is Me, my wife & kids, 4th the rest of my family, 5th friends in need, 6th members of my church in need, 7th people in my town in need, followed by people in my county, state and country.  I've always had this 'thing' about people helping people outside of the U.S.A. when we have people starving here in the U.S.A.  Perhaps I took my grandfathers advice about 'Charity Starting at Home' a little too serious.

One of my biggest 'mental' challenges in helping people outside of the U.S., besides my over stimulated belief that charity starts at home, was always how will it make a difference.  Like everyone I'd see the television commercials about starving children in villages, half way around the world, where there was no running water, no electricity etc.... I'd hear about the millions who were dying each year in these far away lands.  It was just all too FOREIGN for me to comprehend.  It was beyond my understanding.   I could not see how my $25, $100 or $1,000 was really going to make a difference in these people's lives.  I did understand how I could make a difference in lives of a family here by buying them a week of groceries, or paying their electric bill etc... 

However, tonight I've seen the light.  My EYES HAVE BEEN OPENED WIDE!  Tonight I watched a television program that actually changed a core philosophy.   I saw how people with the right talent, comitment, and mindset can in fact effect change in these far away lands.  I did see how millions of lives could be changed quickly, efficiently and effecively.  You may recall a post here at Bluemaumau in response to a question asked by Frankman in which Michael Seid, wrote:

..... I don’t have the inclination or time unfortunately to enter into lengthy debates here. I don’t mean that to sound disrespectful in any way, it is simply a fact of a very time constrained practice and other interests that consume my time. If anyone is interested in my current activities I recommend that you watch the program NOW on PBS that will be broadcast on Friday, May 25th and which will also be available as a streaming video for future viewing.

Well immediately upon reading Michael's post I knew I wanted to watch, however here in N.W. Alabama it aired at Midnight.  So, I set the DVR and then forgot about it --- until tonight.   I hit play on the DVR and was totally mesmirized for the next 30 minutes.  YOU NEED TO WATCH THIS VIDEO.  I searched the web and found a link to a high quality video of the show.  Regardless of you feelings about giving, franchising or some of the people mentioned in the video, who have also been mentioned here on Bluemaumau, you need to watch the video.  It's shows a great concept, and a great example of American ingenuity and creativity for problem solving.  It show's the POWER OF THE FRANCHISE MODEL like it has never before been seen.   Click Here to Watch.