Today is my buddy Dave Koz’s birthday.  I normally don’t use last names here but it makes sense with the story I’m about to tell. If you're not familiar with Dave, he's a Grammy-nominated smooth jazz saxophonist. 

Dave had a birthday celebration this weekend in San Francisco. It was so much fun to hang with him and so many of the great people I’ve met through him. It was one of those weekends where even if I didn’t already know someone, they felt like an instant friend because we had Dave in common. 

In the 20 years that I’ve known him, Dave has never been anything but a stand-up guy. In fact, he’s one of the nicest guys I’ve ever met. He returns every phone call or email, he is considerate, he does not gossip (or at least almost never). He’s just a solid citizen. I may know people who don't like smooth jazz, but I know absolutely no one who doesn't like Dave. It is impossible not to like him. 

Of my many Dave Koz stories, this is my favorite. In 2005, my sister and I decided to throw our parents a surprise party on the 50th anniversary of their engagement because because we weren’t sure what kind of shape mom would be in when their 50th wedding anniversary rolled around. She had developed Parkinson’s Disease and some kind of brain cognitive disorder (they weren’t actually calling it Alzheimers) and she seemed to be slipping away quickly. She was already growing less mobile and using a walker, plus she had begun to get flustered very easily if she felt overwhelmed or in an unfamiliar situation, so we decided to hold the afternoon party at the residential continuing care facility where our parents lived in North Carolina. 

I asked Dave if he’d make a video to wish them happy anniversary because they knew and loved Dave. He said he could do better than that. In some kind of cosmic twist of fate, he was on tour and was playing in my home town the night of the party. 

Dave walked into the event, and my mom’s face lit up with a smile a mile wide. He played “In The Mood,” one of her all time favorites, and played it right to mom. At a time when her mind was leaving her, Dave created a brand new beautiful memory for her and for my father, years after they thought they were past creating  new ones.  Dave left to get ready for his concert and several of the elderly ladies in their 80s came up to me to tell me how cute Dave was, how talented he was, and, more importantly,  how they really, really hoped he made it one day.

Happily, even by then, he’d more than “made it” and he continues, seven Grammy nominations in, to “make it” very, very successfully. 

Dave’s one of those guys who’s the first to jump in when people need help and for years, his main charity has been the Starlight Children’s Foundation. Starlight helps sick children and their families around the world from helping with their treatment, offering educational programs, providing distraction therapy, and connecting families with each other to make them feel less isolated. They incorporate social media so that sick kids can chat with other sick kids; they even offer events including cruises and movie premieres to help families create special memories together, just like Dave did for my mom. Dave now has his own brand of wine available through Whole Foods (and it’s delicious). Proceeds go to Starlight Foundation.

March 27: Starlight Foundation  

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Today was a big day, wasn’t it? The Supreme Court heard arguments on same-sex marriage. 

The question before the court is if the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment to the Constitution means that individual states cannot define marriage in a way that counteracts that protection.

Today’s arguments provided at least one exchange, below, that was certainly food for thought for anyone who wants to define marriage as solely a procreative purpose. 

"The concern is that redefining marriage as a genderless institution will sever its abiding connection to its historic traditional procreative purposes, and it will ... refocus the purpose of marriage and the definition of marriage away from the raising of children and to the emotional needs and desires ... of adult couples," argued pro-Proposition 8 attorney Charles Cooper, according to CNN.

Justice Elena Kagan then said: "Mr. Cooper, suppose a state said that, because 'we think that the focus of marriage really should be on procreation, we are not going to give marriage licenses anymore to any couple where both people are over the age of 55.' Would that be constitutional?"

"No, your honor, it would not be constitutional," Cooper replied.

Today’s arguments focused on California’s Proposition 8, which bans same-sex marriage.

Tomorrow’s arguments will address U.S. v. Windsor,  which challenges 1996 Defense of Marriage Act that keeps married same-sex couples from getting the same federal benefits as opposite-sex couples. 

As a political science major, it’s always fascinating to me to see how the Supreme Court parses up its decisions and how complex they are. Often their ruling has nothing to do with the actual question at hand— in this case, same-sex marriage —and they will dismiss the case because they feel it should be decided by the individual states, which could happen this time. 

But it feels like this is the right time to fix this wrong. It’s time to make same-sex marriage a fundamental right guaranteed by the Supreme Court, not something that each state decides on its own. It's time to be on the right side of history. This is a civil right, it has nothing to do with religion. We’ll know how the court decides in June. 

In the meantime, this graphic, which has been floating around Facebook all day today, describes my thoughts on the matter perfectly. 

Normally, Tuesday is Chooseday, when I donate to a charity in the person’s name who suggested a charity to me. That will return again next week. 

Today’s  $10 goes to Freedom To Marry, a non-profit that works to win the right for same-sex marriage. The 10-year old organization partners with other organizations across the country to allow same-sex couples the same rights afforded opposite-sex couples. 

March 26: Freedom to Marry  

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I was in San Francisco this weekend and had I known there was a new otter exhibit at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, I would have included that in my plans. 

I’m quite convinced there’s no animal that has quite as much fun as an otter. When I was growing up, my mom and I both loved otters. She said she wanted to be reincarnated as one, so whenever I see an otter looking like it is having the time of its life --and when do they not-- I like to think it may be my mom. 

The tagline for the sea otter exhibit is “Play.Eat.Nap.Repeat.”  Really, what more is there to life than that? The exhibit features rescued otters who can’t go back into the wild. They rotate out of the exhibit and then serve as mentors to other stranded otters at the Aquarium.  Can we have a collective “Awwwwww.” Look, the two otters below are waving "Hellllllooooooo!" Do you really have the power to resist that? 

March 25: Monterey Bay Aquarium 

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Many of you have probably already read the letter that Iraqi vet Tomas Young recently wrote to George W. Bush and Dick Cheney on the 10th anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq.

Young, the subject of the documentary “Body of War,” enlisted in the Army two days after 9/11, believing he would be part of a military team that would bring to justice the people responsible for the terrorist attacks.  Instead, he went to Iraq and was paralyzed in a 2004 battle after being shot in the spine. He has decided to stop any nourishment that keeps him alive and to die the way he wishes. 

The letter is powerful stuff. Even if you’re one of the minuscule, tiny minority who feels the war in Iraq was justified, I’d still encourage you to read Young’s letter. It’s impossible to not be moved by his words at the inadequate treatment returning soldiers receive. These are the words of someone who paid an unbearably high price for serving his country, who has suffered in ways that most of us can never imagine, for a war that lined the pockets of Cheney and his buddies and, in the process, left close to 4500 U.S. soldiers and Marines dead and many, many more wounded and traumatized. 

Young, 33, isn’t anti-war. He writes: “I would not be writing this letter if I had been wounded in Afghanistan against those forces that carried out the attacks of 9/11. Had I been wounded there I would still be miserable because of my physical deterioration and imminent death, but I would at least have the comfort of knowing that my injuries were a consequence of my own decision to defend our country I love—the country I love.”

Here’s a link to the letter and Young reading it aloud. Young is under hospice care. I wish him a peaceful, painless passing. As he states, none of us escapes our day of reckoning. Not him, not me, not past presidents. No one.

Today’s $10 goes to Wounded Warrior Project, whose mission is to “honor and empower wounded warriors  returning home from Afghanistan and Iraq. It is a non-partisan organization. 

March 24: Wounded Warrior Project

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I’m in San Francisco for a friend’s birthday party. While that’s the main purpose of my trip, it’s been a wonderful way to get to see other friends who live up here. Today, two friends and I spent a good part of the day at Muir Beach in Marin County. We tried to go to Muir Woods to walk among the redwoods, but we couldn’t get within a few miles of the place, so we ended up at Muir Beach. It was one of those happy accidents. Muir Beach is a part of the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy. The cove and lagoon are stunning in their ragged coastline and the proximity of the ocean to the lush, green pine trees. 

We’d planned to hike in the Muir Woods, but instead we hiked here on trail that led to a ridge that overlooks the Pacific. Leading up to the ocean is Redwood Creek, which is home to salmon and may be the clearest, cleanest creek water I’ve ever seen. 

The Beach is undergoing a restoration project to restore the creek, tidal lagoon and wetlands to their natural functions. $10 seems a very small price to pay for the joy Muir Beach gave me today. 

On a little side note, part of “Memoirs of a Geisha” were filmed at Muir Beach. 

March 23: Golden Gate National Parks

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As I’ve remarked, I often feel like I’m writing this blog in a void. I know that’s not totally true because I see the page views-- which vacillate wildly with seemingly no rhyme or reason-- but the other day  I was reminded in the nicest possible way that what I’m writing does actually go somewhere out into the universe. 

On St. Patrick’s Day, I had tried to donate to The Ireland Funds, an organization that operates chapters in 12 countries (including 12 chapters in U.S.). Its mission, since its 1976 founding, is to promote programs of peace and reconciliation in Ireland, as well as arts and culture development. In the last 40 years, it has raised more than $430 million for more than 1,200 organizations, according to its website.

When I went to donate, however, the site’s menu did not allow me to enter an amount and the minimal amount to pick was $25. I very often have to enter my $10 under “other,” as very few charities have a designated amount that low and I totally understand that.  At the same time, allowing someone to give as little as $5 or $10 can serve as a gateway to bigger giving as someone learns more about the charity and it also allows kids to spend their allowance without breaking the bank and start a lifetime of philanthropy. The American Ireland Fund was the first charity in more than 75 days of giving that had no “other” designation to give any amount other than those suggested.

Much to my surprise, on March 18, Brian Beck, the I.T. Director for the American Ireland Fund, left me a comment that as a result of my blog (I have no idea how he has seen it), the Fund had added an “other” amount option. And sure enough, it has! Now people can give $10 or designate any amount. I hope the American Ireland Fund gets flooded with $10 (and more) contributions. I’m really humbled that the organization added the “other” option. If my rules allowed it, I would give the American Ireland Fund way more than $10 for being so responsive, but now that the “option” box is there, I am very happily donating today’s $10 to the American Ireland Fund.

March 22: American Ireland Fund

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Over the past week or so, there have been three times  I’m come out of my stairwell and seen a broken egg on the last step. I finally realized, much to my dismay, they must be coming from a nest built by the pigeon family that lives in my apartment building. 

A few weeks ago, several pigeons took up residence in the eaves right outside of one of my living room windows. They have provided endless hours of entertainment for my cat and I like the sound of their cooing. I can pretend they’re doves. They’ve completely covered the landing that runs between my and my neighbor’s apartment-- it looks worse than any windshield I’ve ever seen, if you know what I’m saying--but we can just hose it down. 

For an urban area, our little complex seems to get an awful lot of wildlife, whether it’s raccoons or possums or huge spiders or snails, there always seems to be something out there. We have a fountain with a pond with goldfish and those goldfish seem to learn early on that it’s a  Darwinian pool-- figure out how to get behind a rock or a raccoon is going to have you for dinner.  The current crop has been here for quite a while. 

But the pigeons are new. After the second broken egg, I tried to find the nest on the landing and looked around the eaves where I’ve seen the pigeons sleeping at night, but I can’t find it. It must be on the roof, which I have no access to.  I really wanted to find the nest to move it somewhere safe, even though I know it’s best that I don’t touch it even if I could find it. Still, it’s made me sad to know that my particularly pigeon roommates did not possess the necessary skills to build or place a nest where the eggs won’t fall out and that a heavily slanted roof may not be the smartest or safest spot. 

It’s too late for my little potential pigeon babies, but apparently, the birds at the World Bird Sanctuary fare much better. Based in St. Louis, the World Bird Sanctuary occupies 304 acres  and is open to the public. They take care of anything with wings and even have reptile displays. I feel like Tracy Morgan’s dimwitted “Saturday Night Live” character, Brian Fellow, who hosted "Safari Planet,"  but what on earth are reptiles doing at a bird farm? Anyway, the World Bird Sanctuary protects threatened bird species through “education, propagation, field studies and rehabilitation,” according to its website. They have released more than 8,000 injured birds back into the wild. For as great work as they do, I don’t think they can put my little injured bird eggs back together again...

March 21: World Bird Sanctuary

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I have yet to use this blog to fund a Kickstarter or Indiegogo or PledgeMusic campaign, but that’s about to change. I initially had mixed feelings about fan-funded projects. When a musician friend first did it a few years ago, it felt like a cheat to me. Just go get a day job and earn the money to pay for the studio time.

I later realized that was a bit harsh. Another friend and I were talking about how it’s really just asking fans/friends to pay in advance for something they would normally buy, but just pay for later. I still don’t like it when someone like Amanda Palmer raises more than $1 million. I understand that no one is twisting anyone’s arm to give, but that just feels like a slight misuse of the power. The recent “Veronica Mars” movie campaign, which raised more than $2 million in less than 24 hours, felt like a great publicity campaign, but Warner Bros. should have just kicked in the money itself. 

I have contributed to some Kickstarter campaigns, mainly to help out friends, but I still have a few unresolved feelings about the whole process. I do like the idea of the different rewards for the different level of donations. It’s like a PBS pledge drive. 

A New York-based publicist that I’ve occasionally worked with over the years has a Kickstarter campaign for a poetry book. Her campaign, as much as it is to help pay for the publishing of her book, The Leighton Explosion, is to fund her readings in five markets.  

The most interesting part of the story here for me is that Anne is recovering from agoraphobia, which is a part of her life I never knew about and, from what I can tell, happened after I moved from New York to Los Angeles. I’m not really able to judge her poetry and prose, but I find it remarkable and want to support someone’s journey to go from being unable to leave her house to progressing to being able to walk out of her home, albeit with panic attacks, to being able to walk down the street, to getting over her crippling fear of crossing a street to now believing she can go on a five-city Northeastern tour. That definitely seems worth $10.

March 20: The Leighton Explosion

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I got a lot of response from yesterday’s post about gay marriage. All of it positive, but we know that’s not how everyone feels. As some of you may have heard, folk singer Michelle Shocked went off the rails at her concert on Sunday at Yoshi’s in San Francisco and expressed concerned that gay marriage would bring about the end times. She said more— some of it people in the audience considered hate speech— and the club pulled the plug on her. Since then, every concert date but one on her current tour has been cancelled by the club owners....perhaps because they disagreed with what she said or perhaps over fear that if she does that from their stages, some kind of violence may break out. 

I don’t know what’s in her heart and she’s not speaking publicly until Thursday, when she’s agreed to do an interview with Nicole Sandler, but from reports that I’ve read, it almost seems like she had some kind of breakdown -- not because she doesn’t think gays should marry, that’s her opinion-- but from how she acted after, from all accounts, putting on a perfectly fine, enjoyable, first set of the evening. 

But I think about what it must be like to be gay and to hear someone spout such vitriol towards you. To really believe that it will be the end of the world, literally, if you are allowed to marry. I don’t usually write about the same thing two days in a row, but it’s just been on my mind. That is inconceivable to me that anyone could ever think that just because someone were gay and decided to love differently than you and, just like you, wanted to marry the person they love, that their action could bring about the end of the world. That would be giving the gay person a little too much power, don’t you think? 

Today is Chooseday Tuesday, which means I give the $10 in someone else’s name. Today, I’m giving to The Trevor Project, a national organization that provides crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to LBGTQ youth. Again, I don’t know for sure what point Michelle Shocked was trying to make and look forward to how she explains Sunday night's actions , but how horrible it must be to know that there are people out there who really believe, honestly in their hearts, that you are inferior because you are gay.  That God loves you any less because you are gay and, somehow, therefore imperfect (the God I believe in certainly doesn’t work that way). Part of the point of this blog is to fight hate with love. I have no interest in trying to change someone else's mind on any topic. Instead, I want to put good thoughts out that will cancel out their negative thoughts. The Trevor Project does that for people.

My friend, Joel, is on the Trevor Project’s board and he just did me a big favor that helped me with Liberty Hill Foundation, the organization for which I’m on the board, so today’s $10 is in Joel’s name. 

March 19: The Trevor Project

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Today, The Washington Post ran the results of a Washington Post-ABC News poll that shows that 58% of Americans believe gay couples should be allowed to marry. This is up from 37% only 10 years ago.

As readers of this blog know, one of my absolutely favorite sayings is from Martin Luther King Jr.: “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.”  If these changing poll numbers don’t show that, I don’t know what does. 

In other positive news on that front (by now you may have noticed that I’m one of those “straight but not narrow” types - a straight female who considers herself an ally of the gay community — so this is all positive news to me), Ohio Senator Rob Portman came out in favor of gay marriage —a stance he formerly opposed —because his son is gay, and Hilary Clinton now supports gay marriage. It’s very easy, and understandable, to complain that Portman was all too ready to deny others what he now considers a basic right until the situation hit very close to home and that Clinton waited until she was no longer Secretary of State to make the pronouncement, but the point is they re-evaluated their positions and (I would say) evolved on the issue. 

Speaker of the House John Boehner, on the other hand, declared on ABCs “This Week” on Sunday that he could not “imagine” that his position  opposing gay marriage would ever change. 

Here’s how I see it. You are welcome to your opinion against gay marriage, but you are not welcome to infringe upon the rights of others and deny them the same basic rights that you have. It’s such a trite and tired test, but if we put any other word in there besides "gay" or "same-sex" and said “Blacks” or “Jews” or “Whites” were not allowed to marry, it would be seen as discriminatory and struck down. This is a basic civil rights issue, not a religious one. 

I read a piece on Bloomberg News today that posited that folks like Boehner and other politicians who feel the same way he does are secretly hoping that the Supreme Court will rule in favor of gay marriage this summer so that the Republican party can say it didn’t cave on same-sex marriage (despite the fact that it is turning off the more moderate Republicans on a daily basis). It will no longer be an issue that has been making the party look old, antiquated and out of step with current thought. 

All I know is I know and love plenty of gay couples who have been in loving, committed relationships for more than 20 years, and yet, other than in a few states, they are not allowed to be legally wed, even though Britney Spears can marry for 55 hours and Kim Kardashian can wed for 72 days and those are seen as acts that uphold the “sanctity” of marriage because they are opposite-sex unions. True love is so hard to find. Shouldn't finding someone, regardless of whether they're the same or opposite sex as you, be celebrated? 

Today’s $10 goes to the Human Rights Campaign, a D.C.-based powerhouse that works for LGBTQ equal rights because equal rights aren’t equal until everyone has them. 

March 18: Human Rights Campaign

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Happy St. Patrick’s Day!  I love the Irish. Bono, Oscar Wilde, Van Morrison, Dylan Thomas, Liam Neeson, C.S. Lewis, James Joyce, Shane McGowan, Pierce Brosnan...the list goes on and on, doesn’t it?

As a Southerner, long before I traveled to Ireland, I felt a kinship to the Irish. They were over-the-top and dramatic and drank too much and a little sad and very literary, just like Southerners....ok, like a lot of Southerners, not all.  When I finally went to Ireland —I’ve only been to around Dublin, which is like saying you’ve been to the U.S. when you’ve only been to NYC —I loved it.  I can’t wait to see more. The people were so warm and inviting. I’m ordinarily not a beer drinker, but show me a Smithwick’s and a few minutes later I’ll show you an empty glass. 

I’m still on a tight deadline with miles to go before I sleep (“Oh... this article won’t take as long as I thought,” said no journalist... ever), so today's entry is very short. 

I was all set to give today’s $10 to The Ireland Funds.  The Ireland Funds operate chapters in 12 countries (including 12 chapters in U.S.). Its mission, since its 1976 founding, is to promote programs of peace and reconciliation in Ireland, as well as arts and culture development. In the last 40 years, it has raised more than $430 million for more than 1,200 organizations, according to its website. That’s a lot of Smithwick’s. Then when I went to put in my $10, the Ireland Funds would not accept a donation of less than $50. That's the first time that has happened to me. Many charities I've given to suggest a minimum donation of $25, but usually have a box for "other."  So instead, today's $10 goes to the U.S.-Ireland Alliance, which is a non-partisan organization that promotes relationship ties between the U.S. and Ireland. They also recently gave an award to Colin Farrell, so that makes them OK with me. 

Erin go Bragh.

March 17: The US-Ireland Alliance

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You didn’t have to grow up in North Carolina or even be a North Carolina State University fan to adore Jim Valvano (or Jimmy V, as we called him).

It was a bit shocking when he arrived at NCSU in 1980 with his very strong Nooo Yawk accent, but in short order, he was beloved for his seemingly boundless boyish enthusiasm.  His place among NCSU’s exalted was, of course, affirmed in 1983 (30 years ago!!) when State won the NCAA Basketball Championship. Although the underdog against heavily favored University of Houston, NCSU pulled off one of the most thrilling victories in NCAA history when Lorenzo Charles dunked at the last second (from an airball by Dereck Whittenburg), giving State the win 54-52. Always the excitable boy, the footage of Valvano running up and down the side of the court looking for someone to hug right after the win was as famous as Charles’ final basket. 

A few years later, though, after adding athletic director to his duties, he was embroiled in a scandal — most of the charges were later deemed false — and left NCSU in 1990 under a black cloud. While it was sad and horrible at the time, it seems like such a small footnote now in his legacy that it’s all but forgotten. He was working as a commentator and motivational speaker when he was diagnosed with cancer in June 1992. He died in April 1993. But before he did, he not only returned to NCSU to deliver a rousing speech for the  10th anniversary of the 1983 NCAA win, but spoke at the 1993 ESPY Awards eight weeks before his death. It didn’t matter at all if you had never watched a basketball game in your life or had no idea who Valvano was, his acceptance speech for the Arthur Ashe Courage And Humanitarian Award was one for the ages.  Like his NSCU speech from a few weeks earlier, he stressed “Don’t give up, don’t ever give up,” which could have sounded trite if it were not coming from someone who was fighting for his life. 

Shortly before his death, he announced the formation of The V Foundation for Cancer Research.  Much of the Foundation’s work supports young scientists/doctors searching for a cure and funds research in hopes of accelerating results. 

NSCU lost in the ACC tournament today, but tomorrow, Valvano’s life (and the 1983 victory) will be the subject of “Survive and Advance,” the latest  offering in ESPN’s acclaimed 30 For 30 documentary series. The story of how the documentary came together, just like Valvano’s story, is filled with highs and lows. Whittenburg called director Jonathan Hock in 2011 about making a film commemorating the 30th anniversary of State’s win (and the entire incredible post-season that also included a number of other Hail Mary victories). Incredibly, two days after the phone call, Charles, who was working as a bus driver, died in a crash.

Below is the trailer for the ESPN film (you have to get through an ad first). If you don’t remember the win, do yourself a favor and watch, and see a little of the Valvano magic. Just try to get through the 90 seconds without tearing up. I dare you.

When I go home now, I inevitably find myself driving past the street re-named for Valvano and it makes me smile and sad at the same time. 

March 16: The V Center for Cancer Research

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Ever had one of those days where you feel overwhelmed before you even get out of bed? I’m on a last-minute deadline so I begrudgingly canceled all my plans for the next few days, knowing I was going to be writing away. 

The one thing I couldn’t move was an appointment with an aspiring artist in town that a friend has asked me to meet. I knew there was nothing I could do to help him, but I was trying to be a good pal. It was one of those tasks that I resented having to do before I even stepped in the coffee shop where we were meeting. That’s a horrible way to present yourself and I was trying to shake it off and just be present for the meeting. But by the time I crossed the door’s threshold, I was annoyed at him for not taking my hint when I tried to cancel, annoyed at my friend for asking me to meet with him when he barely knows him himself, and mainly annoyed at myself for being such a wuss and not just saying, “No, I can’t meet with you this time. I’m sorry.”   Well, it went worse than I could have even anticipated with the artist asking me for a favor that truly surprised me and there was no way I could do.

I made a quick getaway and ran to the grocery store to stock up since I’ll be working all weekend. As I’m huffing along, feeling very self-important and still irritated, I come face to face with a  blind woman standing in the middle of the store with her white and red cane. I’m trying to figure out if I should approach her and ask if she’d like some assistance or if that will be insulting and presumptuous when a store employee comes up to her and asks her if she wants help. She says yes. Another employee comes to her with a cart and says hello. It was fascinating to see her other senses working overtime. She remembered the clerk by his voice and was concerned that the shopping cart handle felt wet to the touch.  She was very confident and in command of how she wanted this shopping venture to go, pleasant yet forceful. I can barely manage to get around with all my senses in tact and here she was, brave and in charge. 

Her strong presence completely shook me out of my own self absorption and right then and there I got over myself. So someone had taken 30 minutes of my time this morning and asked me for something totally inappropriate. All I needed to do was remember that a request is not a command. I didn’t have to do what he wanted. Plus, it was 30 minutes....not 3 hours. I’m not a brain surgeon; there was no loss of life because this person delayed my work for 30 minutes. I get to walk around this world, even stroll into meetings I don’t want to take, with all my senses intact and all my limbs working. Sometimes I need a little reminder of how precious that is. 

Today's $10 goes to Helen Keller International. I remember learning about Helen Keller in elementary school and being totally fascinated by her. Keller founded HKI in 1915 and the NGO is dedicated to eradicating blindness, including blindness caused by malnutrition. It works in more than 22 countries. 

March 15: Helen Keller International 

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Taylor Hanson turned 30 today and if he’s now feeling old, I’m feeling absolutely ancient. Hanson, the lead singer of former boy band Hanson, best known for their hit, “MMMBop,” is also the father of five kids. FIVE.

I met Taylor in late 1996, which means he must have only been around 13. I’m sorry.... this is going to take me a minute to adjust. I’m really, really not old enough for him to be 30. My friend Steve had signed the  sibling trio and was developing Taylor, Zachary and Isaac’s  major label debut, “Middle Of Nowhere,” which went on to sell several gazillion copies. He gave me an album advance and I fell in love with it over the  Christmas holiday. A few months later, “MMMBop” was No. 1 in about 20 countries.

 Initially dismissed as just another boy band,  Hanson soon proved themselves to have staying power by writing their own songs and playing their own instruments. Even though they aren’t charting radio hits anymore, they still make a great living touring all over the world and releasing new material. They just celebrated their 20th anniversary as a group. History has looked very kindly upon their craftmanship. The Village Voice Pazz & Jop critics poll named “MMMBop” the best single of the year. VH1 ranked it at No. 20 on the channel’s “100 Greatest Songs of the ‘90s.” 

Taylor and I still talk on occasion, usually when the band has something new to promote, and I feel almost materteral toward him. (Isn’t that a horrible word? It’s the female equivalent of avuncular, which is a much better and more common term). He indulges my “remember when I met you in the conference room at Mercury Records” nostalgia and I’m reminded that he is very, very much an adult now, even though I still tend to think of him as such a nice boy.  His voice has even dropped. 

Still, it just felt shocking to see that he’d hit 30 today. According to his most recent tweet, he’s having no such adjustment issues and is enjoying the day on a cruise in Miami with the family.

All these years later, “MMMBop” makes me smile when I hear it, but if I ever need a quick pick-me-up, I also watch this video, which is one of the best things ever made and essential viewing for any Craig Ferguson fan. Really. Seriously. 

In honor of Taylor’s big day, today’s $10 goes to Talk The Walk, a charity that fights against poverty and HIV/AIDS in Africa. The brothers have long supported the non-profit, which raises money by people pledging money for every mile they walk barefoot.  The trio went to Africa in 2007 and was struck by the level of disease and how uncomplicated some of the solutions were.  The band organizes barefoot walks and invites fans before the show to walk a mile with them without shoes and teaches them how they can help by providing a pair of shoes or help build a well in Africa. 

My $10 went to purchasing SMS credits for an HIV/AIDs infected patient to text her doctor, the main ways those in extreme poverty in South America, communicate.

March 14: Take The Walk 

Why I started this blog.

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