Brian Dusablon

So it’s Blog Action Day, 2010. I had been planning a longer post than this, and I still hope to finish it later tonight, but I wanted to get something up before the day was over.

Look, there are a lot of reasons to give back to society. A lot of us do, a lot of us don’t. It’s a personal choice. Here’s my pitch for giving back:

Consider how lucky you are. If you’re even reading this post, you’re so lucky it’s ridiculous. You have power. You have the internet. You have a smart phone, an iPad or a computer. That alone puts you at a great advantage over the majority of the people on this planet. Most of you have a job that pays you more than $5 per day.

You’re lucky.

Consider the magnitude of this. You have an incredible opportunity to do good. To be good. To help someone that is not as fortunate as you. It’s simple. Donate $1. Donate $100. Volunteer. Write a blog post about a charity. Share this link on Facebook or Twitter. It doesn’t matter. It’s simple.

Give back.

If you’d like to give back, and want to join in the official charity for Blog Action Day, use the widget below. Otherwise, check out Charity Water, Village Learning and Achievement Center, or Serve.

So, here it is already a week into 2009 and I’m behind. I have many goals for 2009. Here are a few (in no particular order) that I’ll keep track of through this blog.

1. Read 50 books. A mix of fiction and non-fiction.
2. Get more of my friends and family online via blogs, facebook, twitter, or other means to improve communication and info sharing.
3. Volunteer at least 200 hours.
4. Get in better shape (soccer, Wii Fit, Mountain Biking, Boxing)
5. Spend more time with the kids, especially outside, and less time inside stressing over work and other crap.
6. Keep the new house as clutter-free as the old house is right now.
7. Continue helping those less fortunate through this site and other donations. Continue to include my kids in this process.
8. Get my old laptop working for Megan (4) to play her learning games on.
9. Organize my data (using Drobo) and photographs. I sent 600+ off to ScanCafe the other day.
10. Take more photographs that aren’t of my kids. I love photography, but rarely go out with my D50 to just shoot nature/sports, etc.
11. Finish my two family projects. 2008 Year In Review and the Yearbook.
12. Complete the 7 Random Things Meme Aaron pinned on me.
13. Blog more original content. I love to write, this is my outlet.

EDIT: I’m also adding “play more board games.”

So I received my first check from Spanning Sync today. The referral deal that made me $1000. I pledged half to charity, and that half is already on its way to help a sick child, fund an entrepreneur in a developing country, and cure breast cancer. Thank you Spanning Sync!

With my recent wonderful experiences with non-profits and charity organizations, and the current state of our lovely economy, I’ve decided to make a change in the way we give around here during the holidays.

While I understand my kids (and especially my wife) need to unwrap presents on Christmas morning, there’s just something that bothers me about all that waste.

1. The ridiculous amount of paper, ribbon and packaging really gets to me. Such a waste.
2. The excess this creates. My kids aren’t any more spoiled than most kids with three sets of grandparents, but when you walk into their rooms and see all the crap they have, it’s an awakening.

So, getting to my point…in recent years I’ve pleaded with family to consider donating to the kids’ college funds, maybe in tandem with a smaller number of packaged gifts. I’ve only had limited success.

This year, I’m going to continue that request, but also add another. In place of gifts, or in addition to a smaller amount of gifts, I’m asking for a donation to charity.

I’m working with the kids to pick their favorite charities, and the wife and I are each picking one ourselves. Of our current budget for holiday gifts, I’m taking half of that and putting it to charity.

If you have the wonderful opportunity to shower your kids and/or family in gifts, please take a moment to consider the rest of the world. The less fortunate. Then, sit down with your family and discuss what you’re doing and why they should consider giving back. Give them the responsibility to pick their own charities to donate to.

• Brian: St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital
• Emily: Family Time
• Ryan: Village Learning & Achievement Center
• Megan: Toys for HAAM

If you can’t think of any yourself, consider the causes we listed above, or some of the opportunities below. Or check with the stores you’re shopping at. Most will be doing something for charity.

Also, even if you don’t want (or have the resources) to donate money to charity, consider donating time as a family to volunteer at a local charity handing out gifts, feeding the hungry, or some other wonderful and much-needed opportunity.

So, if you can, give back in some way. It’s really important, for all of us. Giving back feels good. It is necessary given the current state of the world, and, we’ll all be the better for it.

Happy Holidays!

P.S. Do you really need to use all that wrapping paper? Try recycling some packing paper, newspaper or anything else you have lying around. I promise, it feels just as good to rip apart as the fancy wasteful stuff. Every little bit helps.

Green Tips from Amazon

Donation Opportunities:

• Build a well in Africa
• Donors Choose
• Epic Change
• End Breast Cancer
• Help entrepreneurs in developing countries
• Help a child at Texas Children’s Hospital