September 2008

I love summer. Not just the season – the longer days, the warmer nights, nature in full bloom – but what summer represents, the very idea of summer. The high point of the year, the celebration of life, the adventure and enthusiasm that rejuvenates the senses for another celestial cycle. Other seasons are good too, and have their highlights (and hijinks), but I think summer will always be my among my favourite times of year.

As another summer slips away, I’m inclined to look back at summers gone by and reflect on how much I’ve enjoyed them. Many of the best times of my life happened during summer, or at least during the years that dominate my memory. I mean, I’ve always enjoyed school as much as the next nerd, but still, during university years September was a wave of rapidly-building stress, culminating in some funny-only-in-retrospect Decembers. (Not to mention that Canadian winters, despite the obvious benefits of winter sports, can be downright nasty.)

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Hey, peoples who read my blog! Something I need to talk to you about!

So, I’m sure you’ve heard about Hurricane Gustav, and how the end result was that New Orleans didn’t end up in chaos like it did for Katrina. But, the hidden story here is that Baton Rouge got pummeled by the storm, and now a lot of people there are pretty screwed. We’re talking like no electricity for weeks, stand in line to get fresh water rations, you can’t go home because a tree fell on your house screwed.

For specific details, you can always check out The Advocate, Baton Rouge’s primary newspaper.

You might wonder why you should care about this. Well, I can’t answer that for you. I really care about this, because Baton Rouge has become a place of extraordinary importance to me. There are people whose well-being I care about who live there, and these people are there in the first place because they’re helping the local community.

So, anything I can do to help them means a lot to me. And thus, anything you can do to help them means a lot to me too.

If you do feel like helping, I’ve been told by expert sources that the American Red Cross is not a great place to donate, and that your money will actually be used to help people if you donate instead to the Baton Rouge Area Foundation. They have a fund for Hurricane Gustav Relief and Recovery, and that money is going directly to help people in the aftermath of this storm.

Also, a special bonus incentive! For anybody who does donate to the Gustav relief effort, if you tell me that you have (and I’ll just believe you because I’m trusting like that), I will take you out for lunch! And someplace nice too! Think of it – the satisfaction of knowing you’re helping people in need, plus a free lunch, PLUS my undivided attention for an hour or so of lunchtime conversation. Now that’s what I call an offer you can’t refuse. (If you live someplace I don’t… rain cheque!)

Seriously – I would immensely appreciate anything that any of you could do to help out Baton Rouge in this time of need. If you want more information, please feel free to contact me.

Thanks everybody!

seekin’ shelter from the storm