Christmas Eve Breakfast
posted by Jeffrey on Tuesday, December 26, 2006 at 12:24 PM
A recent tradition in my clan is that my wife and I head to my parents' house on Christmas Eve morning for breakfast and to exchange gifts with them and my twin sis. This year, a great conversation unexpectedly materialized around the breakfast table. Here's a rough transcript (as I can recall):
[something was said about how much money is spent this time of year]
me: My blog bud Sam Davidson, founder of this thing called CoolPeopleCare...
Nana (my grandmother): what people care?
Mom: Cool People Care
Nana: Oh. ok?
Me: ...he started this campaign called Christmas is not your Birthday and reports from the National Retail Federation that 450 Billion dollars will have been spent from Thanksgiving to Christmas and asks what would happen if even 1% of that money went to charity or someone you know personally who needs it.
Dad, mom, and nana: hmm [collectively]
Me: Have yall heard of Product [RED] by Bono?
[explanation of the RED campaign]
Me: ...it would only take 50 cents per day to supply one person in Africa the medicine they need to not die from AIDS.
Nana: I think if it costs 50 cents per day in Africa, it should cost that in America as well.
Me: I agree, but it doesn't. Damn capitalism.
Dad: It may cost 50 cents per day for one person's medicine, but how much does it cost to get it to them? Does it even ever get to them? Do the governments intercept the monetary aid? How much of that goes to "executive expenses"?
Me: Good questions dad. That's why I hate to give money to brick and mortar charities...not all of of the money I give, in fact, probably not much at all, goes to people who actually need it.
Dad: Yeah, that sucks (my paraphrase)
Me: A buddy asked me a question back in the summer that went something like this--what if every human on the face of the planet were aware of and lived life through the perfect Love of Christ that is within them? What things would we not need?
[puzzled and introspective looks]
Me: My thoughts exactly, lol...let me get us started, we wouldn't need welfare, borders, governments, armed forces, ...
Dad: No offense son, but that's a Utopian dreamworld, why spend time thinking about that?
Me: Because I believe dreams can come true.
Dad: [head snaps around with bewilderment at the previous comment, followed by a look of apprehensive excitement]
Mom: [yells down from upstairs] Yall ready to come open presents?
That was a great covo Nana and Dad. I hope to continue it further. What do I want for Christmas? That aforementioned "Utopian dreamworld".
Technorati Tags: Christmas, Sam Davidson, Love, utopia, dreams, Product Red, Bono, AIDS, Africa, Jeffrey Davis
[something was said about how much money is spent this time of year]
me: My blog bud Sam Davidson, founder of this thing called CoolPeopleCare...
Nana (my grandmother): what people care?
Mom: Cool People Care
Nana: Oh. ok?
Me: ...he started this campaign called Christmas is not your Birthday and reports from the National Retail Federation that 450 Billion dollars will have been spent from Thanksgiving to Christmas and asks what would happen if even 1% of that money went to charity or someone you know personally who needs it.
Dad, mom, and nana: hmm [collectively]
Me: Have yall heard of Product [RED] by Bono?
[explanation of the RED campaign]
Me: ...it would only take 50 cents per day to supply one person in Africa the medicine they need to not die from AIDS.
Nana: I think if it costs 50 cents per day in Africa, it should cost that in America as well.
Me: I agree, but it doesn't. Damn capitalism.
Dad: It may cost 50 cents per day for one person's medicine, but how much does it cost to get it to them? Does it even ever get to them? Do the governments intercept the monetary aid? How much of that goes to "executive expenses"?
Me: Good questions dad. That's why I hate to give money to brick and mortar charities...not all of of the money I give, in fact, probably not much at all, goes to people who actually need it.
Dad: Yeah, that sucks (my paraphrase)
Me: A buddy asked me a question back in the summer that went something like this--what if every human on the face of the planet were aware of and lived life through the perfect Love of Christ that is within them? What things would we not need?
[puzzled and introspective looks]
Me: My thoughts exactly, lol...let me get us started, we wouldn't need welfare, borders, governments, armed forces, ...
Dad: No offense son, but that's a Utopian dreamworld, why spend time thinking about that?
Me: Because I believe dreams can come true.
Dad: [head snaps around with bewilderment at the previous comment, followed by a look of apprehensive excitement]
Mom: [yells down from upstairs] Yall ready to come open presents?
That was a great covo Nana and Dad. I hope to continue it further. What do I want for Christmas? That aforementioned "Utopian dreamworld".
Technorati Tags: Christmas, Sam Davidson, Love, utopia, dreams, Product Red, Bono, AIDS, Africa, Jeffrey Davis
1 Comments:
so you took that daily 5 min to have a conversation. way to go. it'd make sam proud, hopefully there will be more open conversation down the line
December 27, 2006 8:28 PM
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