challenge accepted

I, like many many other fine folks, have been nominated for the ALS ice bucket challenge. I'm sure you've all heard of this because if you're anything like me then your facebook, twitter and instagram feeds have been full of it. Heck even The Abster was nominated and participated and before me even!

Here's my big question though... why are we all so busy judging each other? I'm going to specifically use the ALS ice bucket challenge as an example, but it's true in a very very broad sense. Why are we so busy judging each other. In my own personal social media streams I have seen the following postings... Hey what if I told you... you don't have to dump ice on your head to donate to charity. Or stop with the water, just donate money. And so on... you get the idea.

I have an idea though.... just do you. Seriously. If you want to dump water on your head and then donate to charity.... rock on with your bad self. If you want to dump water on your head and not donate, but you inspire two other people to donate.... well then hat tip to you sir. If you don't want to have anything to do with any of this... I bid you a good day. Whatever. It's all fine. All of it. What it isn't is a competition. Nobody is any more or less awesome because they do or don't participate... unless you're a hipster. Then of course you're above all of us and we bow to you, your skinny jeans, and your fedora.

Long time readers know that giving back is something very important for me and, if I'm being honest, my mental health and I take care of that in a myriad of ways. I donate money to causes that are important to me... which, if you are interested, are the Canadian Cancer Society and McMaster Children's Hospital, but along the way I'm happy to donate to causes my friends and/or my friends' kids are involved with; fundraising runs/walks, jump rope for heart, read-a-thons and the like. I give boat loads of my time to an ever growing list of worthy organizations and I practice random acts of kindness whenever I can.....



and I dump water on my head.

Does my list of "do goodery" qualifications get me a free pass? Can I post my challenge video without enduring the eye rolls and mockery of my social media friends. Am I "good enough" to participate without judgement? Maybe, maybe not. Don't know, don't care. It's taken me almost 40 years to build this incredible little life for myself and 41 years to embrace the idea that what other people think of me is none of my business. So dump the water or don't. Donate the money or don't. You're all fantastic people either way.