I was re-reading a comment from Chuck Ross in the "Some People Are Takers, And Some People Are Givers" post, and it got me thinking a little more broadly about BP.
Chuck and I agree that Giuliano Carrafelli is a giver. (Giuliano himself says he is.) Chuck thinks I'm a giver. (I agree with him.) Chuck and Roxy are magnificent givers. (I assume that Chuck and Roxy know this about themselves, and would agree.)
In the comment section of the "The Scarlett O'Hara Approach" post, I got into an argument with Dan Keys. In that argument, I pointed out to Dan that any success he's had in the Village has been totally dependent on the giving nature of some of his neighbors, who never fail to respond to his proposals. We're out there, picks and shovels in hand, letting him boss us around. We do it in solidarity with Dan, and because we all want a better Village. So if Dan hatches some scheme to landscape some corner or something, we help out.
And none of us is in this for glory. Giuliano just likes being a giver, and he wants people to be happy, and to enjoy their meals. Chuck and Roxy just like things to be as good as they can be, and they give of themselves to make that happen. I'm like Chuck and Roxy. And for whatever reasons, all four of us shy away from attention for what we do. It's not about us. It's about things being good, and our abilities to contribute to making them that way.
(And I'll tell you who else is a giver around here. Linda Dillon works at Village Hall. Do you know how much she gets paid? Nothing. She volunteers, but the quality of what she does is equal to anyone who gets paid to work for the Village. And Rosemary Wais has always been a wonderful hostess for Village events. She used to make coffee and provide desserts. It was like pulling teeth to get her to accept $1-$2 from me, and to adopt the idea of a tip jar. And the vast majority of Village residents who are on boards simply want to help out, and work cooperatively with their board colleagues and with the Village. For no pay and no glory. It's just dedication.)
And we're not the only ones in the Village who makes themselves available to help out. I myself, in partnership with Chuck, spearheaded three campaigns to acquire public art for the Village. Increasing numbers of our/your neighbors contributed their own money for these acquisitions. The contributions were as little as $10-$20 in some cases to as high has hundreds of dollars in other cases. For Chuck/Roxy and me, the contributions were over $1000.
The Foundation has done some projects over the years. It put on the "Food and Tunes" evenings, bought some pathway lights for the recreation center, and arranged other events. And do you know whose money it used? Yours. The Foundation functions on donations. Many of you made them. You should continue to do that. You know whose Village the Foundation enhances, right? And even so, you never made a charitable donation to some organization that doesn't directly serve you?
Let me put it to you this way. Let's say that you personally believe that there's such a thing as "god." And let's say that as part of your belief that there's such a thing as "god," you imagine that after you die (which I promise you will), you or your soul or however anyone imagines this works will be presented to "heaven." So "god," or "St Peter," or whoever is on duty, greets you at the pearly gates. What conversation do you imagine you're going to have? Do you think that whoever is on duty is going to ask you if you followed the rules? Which rules? The OT rules, the NT rules, the Qur'an rules, or some other rules? (Spoiler alert: no one follows all the rules. No one can, and no one wants to.) No, they're not going to care about that. What they want to know is if you're a good person. (Second spoiler alert: they don't need you to be good to them. They're in complete charge, they've got the power market cornered, and there's nothing you can do for them that they can't do for themselves.) No, they want to know if you were good to everyone, and everything, else. (I'm revealing some critically important trade secrets here, and you can't ask me how I know. I'm not allowed to say.)
Do you know that old saw about leaving things better than you found them? Do that here. Do it everywhere.
Go eat at Ricky Thai. Give your business to someone else, if you like other food, too. If Dan Keys hatches some new scheme to landscape something or other, help him out. If I show you a photograph of some sculpture I'd like us to buy for the Village, donate toward it, even if you don't personally think it's the greatest sculpture you've ever seen. Give the Foundation some money. $20 will be great. It's best if you do that every year. Join a board. Pick out charities that mean something special to you, and slide them a little something. Do you listen to WLRN or WDNA? They need you. And not that much of you.
We're all in this together.
Well said Fred! On that note here is an email we received from Pelican Harbor. Seeing as we are a bird sanctuary this is certainly a cause I believe we can all get behind.
ReplyDeleteI am reaching out both to introduce myself, and to update you regarding the work that Pelican Harbor Seabird Station has been doing in your local community. We are Miami Dade’s largest native wildlife hospital, treating over 2,300 patients each year. In the last five years, we have treated 65 patients from Biscayne Park. With an average cost of care of $379 per patient, this accounts for $24,635 invested in the treatment of Biscayne Park's native wildlife. It is only through the generous support of our community that we are able to carry out our mission of saving Miami's native wildlife. I encourage you to consider becoming a community partner to support the work that we are doing within your Village, as well as help to offset the costs for services rendered. We are encouraging all local governments in Miami Dade County to consider a $1,000 White Ibis Sponsorship or the $2,500 Yellow-Crowned Night Heron Sponsorship. Sponsorships include public bird releases, tabling at community events, and tickets to our annual Pelican Party fundraiser. We can also cater a sponsorship package to your specific needs. Our partners in recent years have included Miami Beach, Miami Shores, South Miami, Surfside, Williams Island, and more.
What are your thoughts on Biscayne Park participating at one of these sponsorship levels for 2021? If a sponsorship is not possible, other municipalities have been able to support our work by allowing us to invoice at the $1,000 or $2,500 level for services rendered.
I would also love to invite you for a tour of our current property, as well as share our vision and project plans for a new state-of-the-art facility at our newly acquired waterfront property on the Little River. Thank you for your consideration and please let me know if you would like any additional information or if you have any questions.
Cheers,
Hannah McDougall
Wonderful, Hannah. (I don't know you, but can I call you Hannah?)
DeleteYou're sort of referencing two kinds of opportunities here. One is the individual opportunity (you should include Pelican Harbor's contact information, even if it's just an e-mail address) for anyone, including VBP residents, to donate. And I have to tell you that Pelican Harbor is a favorite of mine by proxy. My very close friend, Roxy Ross, was devoted to Pelican Harbor, and I joined in solidarity.
The second opportunity is for the Village as a municipal entity to offer support, as the Village does for other things (like a CNM-based organization to support elderly and disadvantaged people, some of whom are BP residents). I personally have no authority to make decisions like that, but at least one or two of our Commissioners read this blog, and they might very well make such a proposal to the Commission. It's certainly a "good deal" to spend $1000 for $24.6K worth of services, so I hope they'll give it careful consideration.
Fred
First you are not god. Hannah please dont pay attention on anything that Fred writes his is a nut case and has no power over BP. Second FRED say your sorry to Dan Keys for your lack of wisdom on how thing get done in BP
ReplyDeleteAnonymous, I agree with you. There is no such thing as "god," and if there were, I wouldn't be it.
DeleteI also agree with you that I have no power in/over BP. (This is part of why it's such a curiosity to me that people like you and Milt Hunter are so preoccupied with what I say. What do you care what I say? As you rightly point out, I have no power.)
I have no reason to apologize to Dan Keys. Sometimes, I disagree with him, and most of the time, I help him with his projects. (Do you?) Were you imagining I would apologize to him for disagreeing with him, or for helping him?
Fred
PS: Really? You aren't man or woman enough to be an identified part of the conversation? You're not at much of a loss for things to say. You write very much like someone else who spews stuff in this blog, and I now automatically delete whatever that person writes. If you're the same person, I'll delete what you write, too. I can tell you that what you write is very nearly as meaningless and nasty, and as much of a grammatical mess, as what the other person writes.
Look go a have fun this weekend with PRIDE MONTH. Give a kiss to Kennedy on my behalf. Don't lie to people and show a little respect for those individuals that gives to my village like the Kuhls and others... and who is Milt Hunter ?
ReplyDeleteWell, you've certainly proven my points about your writing "skills" and about your "intellect."
DeleteBut now, two other issues come into focus. And they might be related to each other.
First, you allege that you've lived in BP for 25 years, but you also claim you don't know who Milt Hunter is. One of these two allegations is wrong. Or they both are.
Second, there's the matter of your hiding your identity. I've already said your writing "style" reminds me of the person whose comments I delete. The lapses and faults are not identical, but they're close. But someone else suggested to me that you produce a "style" that is reminiscent of David Hernandez. (Let me guess: you will also claim not to know who David Hernandez is.) The facts that you're dimwitted and primitive don't help much in distinguishing who you are, if you're one of those two. The homophobia you demonstrate is characteristic of the person whose comments I delete, and I don't know if David Hernandez is homophobic. He might be.
So it's an interesting game to play, trying to figure out which moron you are. I guess if you weren't so ashamed of yourself, you'd just say.
Fred, don’t confuse homophobes with closet cases. They are not mutually exclusive. Those folks often don’t realize they drop feathers alongside their epithets.
ReplyDeleteMac,
DeleteYou'll have to say more about the difference between homophobes and what you call closet cases.
Fred
THANK GOD I SAID NO to your advances and asking me out on dates.
ReplyDeleteYou're very fixated on me. I wonder why you declined to go on a date with me.
DeleteAlthough it's odd I would have made "advances" to you, since I have no use for dimwitted women.
Really you forgot
ReplyDeleteDo you need me to remind you??? Sick Pervert
ReplyDeleteHow would I know if I remember? I don't know who you are. Remember, you've presented yourself as "anonymous." If I had reason to think you were a decent and appealing woman, it's not out of the question. But I'm not in a position to remember.
DeleteSure, you're welcome to remind me. Just give me, and all of us, your name. That's all the reminder I'd need.
I'm a "sick pervert" because I asked you out on a date? Is anyone who takes an interest in you a "sick pervert?" Do you consider yourself much more unappealing than other people find you to be?
Sounds to me like you have major self-esteem issues. Remember, I pointed out to you how fixated you are on me. You can't leave me alone. So if you're that stuck on me, why didn't you agree to the offer of a date? You put me in mind of the old Groucho Marx joke about not wanting to join any club that would have someone like him for a member. Groucho was a great comedian, and he was joking. You seem like you're not. Maybe...get help?