Back To It...

Here we go again, back to the grind. After a lovely five-day break in the middle of the semester (it's like early Christmas, really), it's back to school today. D'oh! Oh well, all good things must end and all that.

Yes, I did say "today." I'm doing this post in the morning, a rare thing in these parts. For that reason, and because I have nothing of note to say, I'll be very brief. Really, when you're on reading break--especially after a day like yesterday which consisted of homework, homework, and more homework--nothing interesting happens.

Well, we did get our shoeboxes done, finally. Good thing too, considering it's collection day today. There are all sorts of different incentives at school for the student body to make some shoeboxes (it's a lot like high school in that way), including the president of the college shaving his head if we get to 400, which is roughly one box per student. I think his mane is safe, personally, because as of two days ago, there were 280. But you never know; maybe there are lots of people like me who do it at the very last minute. I'll keep you posted.

It was a lot of fun filling the boxes. We ended up doing three--two boys and a girl--and spent very little to give a kid the best Christmas gift they can get. Feels good, you know? We're not exactly flush with cash right now, but when you realize how little it takes to give a kid a fantastic gift, the likes of which they've never seen, you realize how wealthy you are.

Okay, I know that everyone plays up that angle--we're the wealthiest people in the world, there are children starving, blah, blah, blah. I don't mean to be crass, but there's only a certain amount of that one can take before the pleas start falling on deaf ears. We become desensitized to the images of pain and suffering a world away because it's not in our backyard. But I suppose that even when it's in our backyard, we still turn a blind eye. It's just a little harder to do.

Not sure where I'm going with that. I suppose I'm just filling space again. Here's the main point, if you care: I'm not doing shoeboxes because I'm motivated by some external plea for help or my heart strings are stirred by moving pictures of poverty. I've seen it. I've watched the videos. I come across Jann Arden hyping World Vision in paid programs on Global. No, I'm not doing this because some mediocre musician told me to. I'm doing it because it makes me feel good to help. And that's really the only reason. Help motivated by guilt is nothing more than empty charity, and an insincere gift isn't worth giving. Of course, I'm not on the receiving end, so I can't say that for sure--it's just my opinion.

Okay, time to get ready for the day--coffee's on, and I have an hour to get ready and get to chapel. See you again tomorrow, or, I suppose, tonight, or whenever you read this thing.