There's no doubt that cold, nasty, rainy days do not add to the enjoyment of anyone's holiday season, and, in Muncie, those days are abundant. It also seems that the lights, sounds, smells, and overall feel of the holiday season are vastly overshadowed by the ominous approach of finals week.
On the up side, the students of Ball State University have not lost any lives or homes from the onslaught of an unexpected natural disaster, like people in the Philippines have, and they're are not separated from their families by an ocean this holiday season, like the soldiers in Iraq. I know everyone is stressed out and burnt out, but it's important to distinguish problems from inconveniences. Put everything in perspective, and then figure out what to do in order to make the situation better.
I know Muncie weather can be crappy and finals week can be awful, but for so many people around the world, there is no light at the end of the tunnel. I don't think we stop often enough to think about how lucky we are to be where we are.
This holiday season, no matter what you celebrate, consider giving something other than clothes or a dvd. Avoid the malls, the crowds, and the parking lot -- which will, in effect, allow you to avoid the weather. Give something that will substantially benefit the life of another, possibly even change it.
Send a child in Nigeria to school by paying his or her tuition. Put the donation in a loved one's name. That will mean more to them than a scarf, and it only costs $10. For the price of a sweater from the Gap, you could send four or five children to school for a year.
Erin Buck is the president of an organization here on campus called the Timmy Foundation. The foundation's mission is "to build healthy futures worldwide, one child at a time." The Timmy Foundation organizes international service trips, collects and distributes medical supplies and equipment in communities in need around the world, and advocates global awareness at schools and universities.
I don't mean for this column to be a plug, but Buck and her Timmy Foundation here at Ball State demonstrate the selfless good that I think is all too often absent from the public view these days. It's strictly a volunteer organization, and Buck gains nothing from it but the knowledge that she is saving the lives of children around the world.
"I like the Timmy Foundation because of what it stands for," Buck said. "They know it's not enough to go to a third world country and help for a week and then leave. We work with the medical facilities that are already there to help find a more permanent solution."
Buck said she started the chapter at Ball State after the founder, Dr. Charles Dietzen came to Ball State to speak to a group of pre-med majors.
The Timmy Foundation website offers endless donation options -- from the tuition or school uniform of a child to a teacher's salary to medical supplies and mattresses for children in South America. The price range is just as wide.
"There's a lot people can do," Buck said. "Get involved. Find a passion. Mine just happened to be Timmy."
The Timmy Foundation website is www.timmyfoundation.org.
Write to Alyssa at akmiller@bsu.edu
Read More
Three Air Jam teams take home the win
October 12, 2012Nineteen teams shimmied, shook and flipped for a sold out John R. Emens Auditorium on Thursday night during the 25th annual Air Jam.
Bill Clinton Speaks at North Central High School
October 12, 2012Former President's Speech Could Have Effect on State Senate Race
