Let's Get Crackin'

So school's crazy for all of us, but it's also out for all of us for somewhere between two weeks and a month!  Being as it is, let's start this project (for more details see below).  Ultimately, I have two visions for this project: first, I want this group to develop as servants.  What a waste of some highly thoughtful, highly driven lives if we squander our daily moments!  On a larger scale, however, I'd like for us to be a pilot group. We'll design a 30-day program available for Y-Club participants around the state to complete in the next year.  So keep that in mind as we direct the topic over the next couple of months.

Proposed Topics:

• The impact of ambition
• Identify small and large scale ambitions (get to school on time or get into ____ College), and analyze actions they make you take.  Are those actions good or bad?  How can we take necessary ambitions and keep them from causing bad actions?
• Interactions with strangers
• How do you make unacquainted interactions successful?  When are they just creepy?  Are they ever dangerous?
• The Bleeding Heart
• When should you clot the artery?  When do you let it flow all over a random person in need?
• Yielding
• Sometimes in driving, the most dangerous, least helpful action you could do is let someone else ahead.  When is that true in life?  When is it better to think of yourself first.

ADORABLE!!!

Are these not the cutest babies ever?! They are from India and a picture of exactly what I want to do with my life!

I finally figured it out!!!

Look Macy! I finally figured out how to log in! It has something to do with my computer not wanting me to use Blogger when I am logged into my case account. I'm not sure but yay!

So two weeks from now you will be done with KYA after finishing what was probably one of the most exhilerating, fascinating and exhausting weekends of your life! I am so proud of you! I love getting your KYA group updates and you are totally going to rock it! It doesn't matter if you win so much but that you have the experience of running and getting to know some incredible people! I want to hear all about your campaign and also about Henry Clay's delegation as a whole! Do you have people in every postition? I tried hard last year to make sure we were 100% eligible to win best delegation.

Also I hear you will be running in the state cross country meet this Saturday!!! That is amazing! Congratulations darling! That is a huge deal and you will do wonderfully! I only wish I could be there to cheer you on. But I am sure the rest of the team will go all out!

As for junior year, I am sure it is going swimmingly for you?

So, tonight I went to a talk about the holocaust given by CWRU alum who has gotten to interview many people who helped rescue Jews during the holocaust as well as Miep Gies who hid Anne Frank. It was fascinating! I thought of you the whole time! But she left us with a question: Who is worthy of help? She talked briefly about why we help people and who we decide we would give our lives too. The talk reminded me of our trip this summer and thinking about what we would do in the case of the Civil Rights Movement or the Holocaust. It is so easy for me to say I would do everything in my power to help but I am not 100% sure I would ultimately have that courage!

Something to ponder in your down time! I am very busy as you are!

Love you to pieces!

Letter 1: Introduction

All, this originally began as a letter to Ms. Sylvan Ryder, but  we felt that extending would make it more interesting and effective!

I have this idea, see, of something we can do together to bring the YMCA spirit to you (and maybe others), to grow personally, and to stay connected in the process. (This is when you say, "O, goodness, what is Macy thinking?")  I know you're really busy, so do what you can and go conquer the world in the process!

So here's the plan:

1. You and I think about what it means to "Pay It Forward" and live a life of active servitude.  What concepts lie therein to be explored?  What major terms, concepts, and characteristics fall under the umbrella?  I know this is super ambiguous, but while I have some ideas, I'd prefer this to be a kind of free-range project.  So interpret as you may in your initial reply and we can go from there.
2. We discuss over letters these concepts and come up with a list of about 20-30 explorable key concepts.
3. We begin.  We implement/explore one aspect off of our list everyday or every other day.  And when we act them out, we write about them: about our feelings, success, challenges, and final conclusions about that aspect of our theme.
4. (Letter originally discussed letters here.  Instead...)  We blog about our day!  However short, however long.  No biggie!  Then we can immediately comment on, and expand our amiga's conclusions.  We can also look back in the oh-so-permanent blogosphere and reflect on our findings togehter to compile some almanac of sorts for living an outward focused life!

I know it sounds like a alot, but if we write a 5-minute reflection between classes on the day's "change."  Maybe more if that day's not so busy.  Then we'll automatically communicate on a daily basis and live far more focused lives.  How fun!


All the love in the world,
Macy