Friday, December 9, 2011

Just give

The more we know, the harder it can be to choose.  It's hard for the educators I know to choose schools for their children.  Doctors are notoriously bad at taking care if their own health issues.

I have this problem with philanthropy.  A couple of years ago, when my kids voted to give their tzedakah to help "hungry people", I was overwhelmed with what that meant.  And the choices.  And the altitude.  Should we buy food at a pantry?  Should we buy someone a goat from Heifer International? Finally, I went to an expert - a friend who works allocating money in the areas of poverty.  She recommended a local NY organization where our couple of hundred of dollars (of change) would make a difference.  We made the gift, and indeed, got a lovely personalized thank you note back.

There are several organizations we give to as a family.  Like most people, some have to do with our personal interests.  Some are in support of friends and their causes.  Some come from my professional understanding of the work and desire for impact.

And then some just speak to our heart and guts.  This is hard to do as a professional.  The non-profit professional in me wants to analyze every gift.  Wants to be an investor, not a donor. Wants to give the homeless person on the subway a laminated card of resources along with my dollar.  Wants to leverage every dollar we commit.

But at my gut, I'm not a non-profit professional, I'm a person.  A person who is very affected by what I see and feel around me.  Every year, I re-read and do some version of Jon Carroll's brilliant Untied Way.  Just put cash in my pocket and give it to whomever asks.  Without thinking or judgement.

The fundraisers I know who work for causes that aren't so, well, sexy, often get frustrated by people's personal commitment to causes that touched them.  I get it.  I really do.  I used to have a lot of the same frustration.

Then one of the strongest people I know, my sister J, lost a baby to SIDS.  And an extraordinary organization - First Candle - provided her family with support through the tragedy.  Every year, I make a gift in her son's memory.  At her oldest son's bar mitzvah a couple of weeks ago, he spoke of his commitment to the organization in tears.  Have I ever looked at their 990?  Nope.  Do I have a full understanding of what they do?  Definitely not.  Could I tell you that it is the best investment for people who care about infant mortality? Not sure.  They were there for my family, though, and I will continue to be there for them.

Sometimes, we just need to give.  I encourage you all to do so this holiday season.  Don't invest.  Just pick something that you believe in and write a check.  It'll make you feel good.

Friday, December 2, 2011

White space

I've started reading the running pundits.  It was inevitable, given my life-long obsession with periodicals and my new-found interest in running.  Like much press, there are recurring themes.  You know - short skirts are in, short skirts are out.  The running press seems to have great admiration for the "easy run".  The easy run is defined but what it isn't: it's not timed, not paced, not tracked, not fast, not hard.  It is a put-on-your-shoes-and-just-run-until-you-are-done run.

I don't have fancy gear, but I like running gear.  I like running distractions in general.  As I have said, my first preference is to have my friends, Coach  Craig and T the Terrific, with me.  But if not, I want my ipod.  And I like my ipod chip that tells me (sort of) how fast I am going and how long I have gone.  Some day, I might even invest in the Garmin.  If it didn't involve dealing with the chest strap, I'd probably get a heart rate monitor.

We were in the warmth over Thanksgiving.  One day, I ran with JB.  Running with JB is somewhere in between running with friends and running with music.  He'll talk, but I have to initiate conversation.

But another day, I ran not with, but like, JB.  It was an accident; I stepped outside to realize my ipod was completely dead.  So I just ran.  No music.  No technology.  No indicators of whether I was running fast or slow.  Nothing to distract the thoughts in my head.  And while I didn't love it, I survived it.  I even had a brainstorm or two along the way.  It's the way JB both runs and operates in general, a un-distracted approach towards life that is one of our major differences.

I've learned from the visual people and graphic designers in my work-life that people need white space.  Too many words on the page distract us.  As my sisters keep pointing out, I haven't been blogging much the past few weeks.  It's unfortunately true.  My new job, which I love, is occupying pretty much all of my mental space these days, filling every page with many, many words.

The run made me realize I need more white space.  In my calendar, and in my life.  I've started with my calendar - blocking a morning and an afternoon a week.  For time to think, to write, to have the pop-in meetings about ideas.  Maybe even to sit and just think for a minute, or ten.

Hopefully blogging a little more will be a side effect.  I've got some things to say.  Next up: the bar mitzvah of my oldest nephew and how we emotionally connect to charity.

In the meantime: Shabbat.  The original, ordained white space. And probably a blog on that to come.  Wishing you all a day, or an hour, or a moment, of rest.