Da Goddess

A Look Ahead - Doing More In 2004

The last couple of weeks of the year had me running into faces and names from my past. At first, I couldn't determine exactly why this kept happening. We talked about it, Greg and I did. What did it mean?

It wasn't until after I ran into the man most responsible for my pursuing nursing that I figured it out.

I've been amazingly blessed by having such wonderful mentors during my life. With some, the lessons weren't obvious until much later. No matter, though. The point is, these people gave of themselves in such unselfish ways and cared enough to point me in the right direction.

That's what I'd like to do. I want to be the kind of person who serves as a role model for others.

I don't know that anything I do would inspire anyone in the way that my mentors have inspired me. I only know that I'll have to look far beyond myself in order to be the type of person that I'd want to follow if I were choosing a mentor.

Greg and I have spoken about this at length. Many times. I've felt the pull/the need to do something more purposeful for some time now. He says I already do that. I say I need to do more.

It's not that I don't find value in parenting or nursing. I do! I place a great deal of value on those activities and take those responsibilities seriously. Yet, there seems to be a place inside with a void. A void aching to be filled with something bigger.

I have several plans.

1) Volunteering at a group home. I can only give several hours, one day a week but that's certainly more than I'm giving now. I've spoken with the person who runs the home and we're working on making it official. During some of the busiest hours there, it helps to have extra hands. I'm going to be the extra hands.

2) Volunteering at a local wildlife rehab center. A few hours, one day a week is what I can manage and what I will give. I love wildlife as much as I love kids, so it's a good match.

3) Beyond the borders of my comfortable world here, are others in need. Be they humans in Africa or animals in Australia, I'm going. One way or another, I'll get there. I have a unique opportunity to go one place or the other for two weeks. Both are worthwhile causes. Each is a unique experience. I don't know which it will be just yet. I have a couple of months left to decide.

Many of you are aware of my plans and several of you have offered to donate to the dream. Because of your generous offers, there's now a PayPal account for that. I'm not going to launch a massive campaign to raise money. I had thought, at one point, that I might. I thought I might damn well be willing to sell my soul to raise full amount needed (for Africa - $3,500 - for Australia - $2,500.) But, after much consideration, the means must justify the end and I simply can't see how selling my site or my soul would serve any purpose greater than getting me where I want to go. That doesn't fit in with my reasons for wanting to go in the first place. Instead, the PayPal button will be there for one purpose, and one purpose only. If you'd like to donate, I'd be grateful. The money would be applied to the trip alone. No web hosting costs. No night on the town. No lavish party. Just the trip. A chance to do something bigger and touch lives in a way that I can't do through parenting or every day nursing.

I'm hoping that by stepping beyond my normal boundaries that I can begin to stretch my arms wider, embrace more people. I want, not to be known by millions, but rather, able to touch a few. I want to do something meaningful. Maybe in doing so, I can become more like the people who have inspired me.

For specific information on either trip, leave me a comment with a valid e-mail address. I will get the organization specifics to you. Below you will find some of the details.

Africa (please note that there are two different organizations running these medical missions):

Our second trip to Kenya. Kenyans are warm and friendly, but the medical need is great. Many are suffering due to hard living conditions, poor nutrition, and lack of care.

Share of Costs: $3,500, airfare included

Trip Difficulty: - Moderate

Or,

Djohong, Cameroon - Intestinal parasites are one of the most widespread and intransigent health problems in the world, affecting more than half of the globe’s human population. They cause serious illness in 450 million people each year and kill thousands more. Just three parasites, Ancylostoma duodenale (hookworm), Ascaris lunzbricoicles (roundworm), and Entamaeba histolytica (amoebae), claim more than 200,000 lives annually. Most incidents of illness are in Africa and are preventable through improved public health measures.

Share of Costs: $1,995, plus airfare.

Trip Difficulty: Moderate

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Australia:

Fire is a natural component of many ecosystems, such as the diverse habitats in this spectacular coastal park, but the complex effects of fire on animal populations are poorly understood. Recent dramatic brush and forest fires in eastern Australia have spurred concerns about the role of fire-management techniques in the loss of biodiversity. For instance, inappropriate fire regimes contributed to the extinction of two species of Australian birds in recent years, and pose a major threat to fifty more. You can help explore the impacts of fire management on native animals in a groundbreaking field experiment on a landscape scale.

Share of Costs: $1,595, plus airfare.

Trip Difficulty: Moderate

Posted by DaGoddess at January 2, 2004 12:57 PM