A Bucket Full

Perched on top of my head was my Santa Claus hat. Over my red coat I was wearing a red apron emblazoned with the slogan, “I am a bell ringer.” The volunteer job seemed easy enough—just say Merry Christmas to everyone who walked past me.

My Salvation Army Red Kettle training was brief. I would be working at the local department store for my two-hour shift. I’m not sure if the explanation about the bucket locking mechanism was meant to deter me from taking off to Mexico with the treasure or so I could rest assured that the bucket was safe from thieves.

It seemed as if I had green spinach stuck between my teeth or something hanging from my nose because the passersby’s shoes seemed really interesting to them. Almost as much as the nonexistent spot on the floor in front of them.

I challenged myself to say something to make them look me in the eye. I would compliment them on their coat, hat, gloves or even their screaming child or mangy pooch. Sometimes their gaze would move from their shoes to mine, but rarely did they make eye contact with me, let alone deposit money into the bucket. Even people I knew seemed to have amnesia!

I daydreamed that someone would put a gift in the bucket like some of the others I had heard about:

·      A mysterious gold coin had been anonymously dropped in the bucket in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania every year since 1996, totaling almost $10,000 over the years.

·      A Wisconsin bell ringer found a gold coin in his red kettle valued at $1,600.

·      In a kettle in Miami a diamond and sapphire ring was wrapped in a $50 bill with a note inside: "They need more than I. Do good! A Friend."

Today’s gift was to put a donation in the little red bucket, look the bell ringer in the eye and thank him for volunteering his time. May others be inspired to give money, smile at Santa’s helper and wish them a Merry Christmas.

In Giving and Ringing in the Season,

Robin

Making People Like You

The book describes the six rules to make people like you:

1. Become genuinely interested in other people.
2. Smile.
3. Remember that a man’s name is to him the sweetest and most important sound in any language.
4. Be a good listener. Encourage others to talk about themselves.
5. Talk in terms of the other man’s interests.
6. Make the other person feel important—and do it sincerely.

Over 15 million copies of this book have been sold since the 1936 copyright. My copy of the book is well worn with corners turned down and yellowed pages with notes in the margins. The jacket cover has torn edges and the title, printed in yellow, is barely discernible. The author’s black and white photo stretches to the torn edges.

Warren Buffet described the book as the most helpful self-help book of all time. I pulled the book off my shelf when I realized that the writer was born 125 years ago today. As I glanced through it I realized that I might not be following some of the rules that were written in the book.

For today’s gift, I called a friend that I had not spoken to in a long time. She had left several voice mail messages. I had been waiting for an opportunity where I would have plenty of time to catch up with her, and it never seemed to happen. She did not judge me for being out of touch.

Now that I have the book pulled off the shelf, I am amazed at the concepts that are still applicable today. I think I should read it again. In case you haven’t figured it out, the author is Dale Carnegie and the name of the book is How to Win Friends and Influence People.

In Giving and Being a Good Friend,

Robin

Having Just Enough

It has probably happened to you. That elusive parking space finally appears. You strategically back into the spot and adjust the car to be about a foot from the sidewalk and a safe distance from the cars on either end. As you hop out of the car, push the lock button and proceed to the parking meter, you open your wallet and find no change. Back to the car you frantically look in the ashtray and find a penny, earring and a rock. Now you start pulling up the floor mats and find a few more pennies, an M&M, lots of dirt, but no usable coins. You look around and there are no open businesses to give you change.

This happened to me today. Only not with a parking meter, but a newspaper machine. I wanted to purchase the Sunday Oregonian to learn about events in Portland for my upcoming trip. On the newspaper box I read “$1.50—insert any type of coin, except for pennies.” I had $1.00 in my wallet. There was a dime in the ashtray; two more dimes under the floor mat and in the glove box another two dimes.

Finally, I had scrounged enough to buy the newspaper. I put the coins in the slot and pulled on the lever, but it would not open. I pulled harder, no luck. I pushed the coin return and held my breath until I heard the sound of the change dropping. Thinking it must have just choked on one of the coins, I tried again. My rule of thumb in these situations is to try the same thing again and hope for different results. Someone once said that is called insanity. Because if I didn’t lose my money the first time, maybe I would on the next try. I glanced down at the newspaper and stamped in red was “$2.50.” As I drove home without a newspaper, I thought that I am probably not the first person that this has happened to.

At home I poured change from the jar onto the countertop and then returned to the scene of the crime. The six papers were still in the machine. Had other people had the same experience as I did?

For today’s gift, I taped four quarters to a small index card and wrote, “Take what you need to buy a paper. In the future, when you have extra change, pay it forward by leaving it for someone else.” As I left with the Oregonian, I thought that the next person can walk away feeling satisfied that they had just enough money to buy a newspaper.

In Giving,

Robin

One of America’s Most Thankless Tasks

Tim’s first job was as a newspaper delivery boy when he was 12 years old. He rode his bicycle through the neighborhood in the dark, early morning hours, just about the time that aliens from outer space were waking up and lurking behind every bush. It was probably part of what influenced him to a different career track. However, for the delivery person who leaves a newspaper in our driveway each day, it is a way of life. Below is an overview of a newspaper carrier’s job. They are:

Independent contractors, not employees of the paper and “buy” the paper at a heavily discounted rate and then “sell” the paper at a higher rate to each of their customers.

Responsible for paying for any supplies: bags, rubber bands, gas for the vehicle, etc.

Usually delivered in the early morning hours. If there are any problems printing the papers, they will be delivered late.

Responsible for getting the papers delivered by 6 a.m. on weekdays and 7 a.m. on the weekend. Any complaints are docked from their paycheck.

To assemble, bag and load them into their vehicles, which can take between 30 minutes and 2 hours. Then they deliver them to each customer.

Accountable for maintaining and keeping delivery lists up to date—new starts, vacation holds and stops, actual stops, etc.

Working seven days a week, regardless of weather. If they miss a day, they don’t earn money for that night and have to pay someone else to take their route.

Rarely getting tips because they are invisible to most of their customers.

Today’s gift was to leave a tip in an envelope for the newspaper carrier with the plastic sleeves that I am returning for them to reuse. If you are like me, walking out to pick up the newspaper each morning is a ritual that starts my day. Reading it with my first cup of coffee helps me wake up.  I am not certain that the delivery person knows how much I appreciate this little luxury. So here’s to those who get out and make their rounds so that I can ease into my day with the latest news and weather report.

In Giving,

Robin

Soar Like An Eagle

It was Memorial Day, 2008. My neighbor asked if I would help him edit photos of a newly hatched eaglet. The nest was just a short distance from our house. Over the next few months, I documented the growth of the baby eagle a miracle of nature if there ever was one.

The baby grew quickly and just like Jethro on the television show the Beverly Hillbillies, it was huge with an appetite to match. When Jethro was a few weeks old both parents left the nest at the same time to hunt for food. He was curious and would venture to the end of the limb and gaze down at me. When Mom and Dad returned they would squawk at him until he retreated into the nest. Jethro perched on the edge of his home made of sticks as it began drooping under his weight. When he was finally able to take his first flight, it was just in the knick of time because there wasn’t much left of the nest to hold the gargantuan youth.

In Klamath Falls each year on President’s Day weekend, the Winter Wings Festival pays homage to many kinds of birds, including our national icon, the bald eagle. This region is one of four major bird flyways in North America and one of two areas with the highest concentration of American Bald Eagles.

Today’s gift was to meet with the website designer to put the final touches on the photo contest for the WWF website. I volunteered to upload the photos. If all goes well, people will be able to “like” them on Facebook. I am excited to see the photos that people have taken of birds in this area. Plans call for the photo contest to be live next week at http://winterwingsfest.org.

Enjoy the 5-minute video of Jethro’s journey from birth to soaring like an eagle by clicking here.

In Giving,

Robin