Working, just working period, exposes one to many entertaining situations that could easily make any television sitcom. Scenarios that take place in the office—or are shared by people you work with, or are shared by people you network with as a result of working in that office realm, or are created by all of the above—are famously productive waters for emotional reactions.
A well-respected charity-world sage who I’m proud to say is also a Gropius reader said, “I especially love to just go right at the things that upset me, despite the potential chaos, which is why my wife tells me that my wake will be held in a coat closet.” That quote should be featured on a quote-of-the-day calendar...like 365 times.
Sometimes coat closets are a good thing. It’s nice to put bits of hot clothing in the deep recesses of your cool closet and take them out during another season—one in which others have forgotten that you own them or that they have commented on them in a less than forgiving fashion. So that’s what I’m doing.
But I do obsessively refine new "Gropius" episodes of The Office on a daily basis. And I do believe in some corner of my annoyingly active mind that I will one day contact NBC and make a name for the hilarious minutia of collectibles in the daily grind.
By the way, it’s nice to have the space to ruminate on such crap, isn’t it? I am sure by now you have imagined yourself in Haiti and what it might be like after this disaster. Like you, I've seen the news coverage and like you, I would like to do anything that empowers me to help...feeling sorry for the plight of these people isn't helpful! I don't like feeling powerless. I'm wishing I could get on a relief plane and get there soon to help dig.
One thing I have done: visit this website, where sits a great list of organizations working the front lines there. I’m sure any one of them would be an excellent place for any contribution you can spare.
10 comments:
That is a funny quote... maybe you can do a post of all funny quotes by your readers. It'll be a blast reading them.
On a more serious note, I agree with you, I wish I can actually and physically help those people. I visited the website you mentioned.
Great list! It's wonderful to see how fast people are working to get money and help on the way!
Yes, I've written a check to the Red Cross. I just wish I could do more.
How nice that you care about Haiti. I think the ones who died in the disaster were the lucky ones. They escaped their miserable, generational cycle of poverty and despair. Perhaps the flood of aid coming in now will make more of a difference to the survivors than the billions in aid their country has received over the past few decades.
Poor Haiti! :(
when I got home last night, Cristy was sitting at her desk crying. She had been watching CNN coverage in Haiti. The situation is devastatingly tragic. I am humbled at the dedication and tenacity of rescue and relief volunteers.
Yeah, working in a town library, I feel like I could write a fun gossipy type column; we all could.
The situation in Haiti is dire; I don't think we've even begun to skim the surface of how horrific it is.
I'm so ashamed that I missed your post on Tues regarding the 10 Things! I was tracking back and then ... here it was all the time and I just completely spaced. Please forgive my apparently short attention span. Sorry.
I've learned over the years that within every tragedy there is opportunity. Let's hope that this awful disaster will bring a rebuilding that will leave Haiti in better shape than it has ever been in the past. We've all benefited from the miserly wages paid for goods made there so it's time we should do something lasting for those impoverished people.
I'm afraid I don't really understand the coat cloak comment, but it is good to pause and reflect on the good work being done to help clean up the mess in Haiti. While it is noticeably suffering upon suffering, in a place unblessed by affluence and good health generally, it is still a country that educates its own and hopes for a future. Parts of Thailand came out smiling brighter than ever in the post-tsunami rebuilding, here's hoping for Haitian heartiness in the aftermath.
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