One step at a time.

The Invisible Children Screening finally happened and it was a huge success. I cannot begin to even thank everyone who helped. Y’all know who you are. This was the biggest thing I’ve ever done. I’ve never organized anything like this or was in charge of so much. But it was a great experience and I know I’m going to be doing this and working with IC much more in the future. (Speaking of, keep Oct 10 on your calendar for the Acoustic Show/IC Screening at The Generator). I think this screening really opened up people’s eyes to the tragedy that has been going on for 23 years. And for the people that weren’t there- well I’m sorry you had other obligations. But just be sure to be there on Oct 10.

And for those that were there- now that you are informed, it is your duty to go out and spread the word and help stop this war, because if you don’t do anything, you ARE part of the problem. Write letters to your senators and congressmen. I did, and I’ve gotten emails back. Your voices are so strong and you MUST use them for the voiceless invisible child soldiers.

IC is such a strong organization but with little funding. They don’t have huge companies to sponsor them. All of it comes from us every day people. So I am asking you to donate to Schools for Schools and help rescue and recover the war-torn area of Northern Uganda. You can give the money directly to me or my Dynamic Duo partner Michelle. And there is something else I am wanting to proclaim:

I hereby announce that if we can raise $4,000 by December 1, I will get an Invisible Children logo tattoo. This is not a joke. This is for real. If you can find a way to donate or get other people to donate, and we raise that much money, I will go to the tattoo parlor off Broadway Blvd. and will record the whole process.

If it takes radical and extreme measures to do what needs to be done, then so be it. There is hope if we endure. We can change history in the making. Thousands of nine year old boys are carrying guns on their backs right now, thinking that Joseph Kony is Jesus Christ reincarnated. There are hundreds of thousands more living in fear of every second of the day, hoping to not be captured. Do Africans matter as much as Americans and Europeans? Why hasn’t the ridiculous amount of deaths been reported on CNN and BBC for even a minute? All we hear about is Iran this or Israel that. What about our fellow brothers and sisters who are asking for our help? Do we not help them because they are no threat to us? These reasons are absurd, and there is no reason to not help them. We are responsible to give aid in any shape or form.

“This challenge is one I’m willing to accept and one I intend to win.”
From the wise words of JFK, I bid thee goodnight. Start raising money- NOW. Got questions? Ask away.

Things have changed for me, and that’s okay.

Life is never static. There are always circumstances where something will change, hopefully for the better. If it there is no positive effect that comes from the change, then one must have to suck it up and move on. Most people like to stay in the groove of things, where it is comfortable and familiar. Too bad life isn’t a fairytale! I’ve had to adjust to new things that have been happening in my life, and I’ve welcomed them with open arms. What fun is it if everything stayed the same? We would never learn, never experience new things, meet new people, or even make a difference. I’m not saying that all change is good (ex. having a job one day, then not having one the next), but if one is open minded then great things can happen. Think about it, if we all were unhappy when something changed, we would never know true happiness. So let go of fearing change, and embrace it!

I have been more busy these past few weeks than I’ve been in a long time. Senior year so far has been up to my expectations, but it doesn’t really feel like senior year. I guess next semester when I get responses from universities, I’ll realise I’m almost done with grade school. I didn’t play much tennis this summer, so for it to be thrown at me every other day including weekends, is a big change (but change is good, remember?) but I’m enjoying it. I do have to say that I miss everyone from last year. School and tennis isn’t the same without the bunch of kids I’m used to seeing everyday. Things are quite boring, honestly. But thank goodness I have Invisible Children that takes up 50%+ of my time!

I don’t mean that sarcastically. I really love being preoccupied with all these details. First off, there’s the HUGE screening at Naaman on October 1. Then there’s the follow up screening/concert at the coolest coffee shop ever made, The Generator in downtown Garland. The big blowout concert will be later on too. Then there will be carwashes and various fund raising events to raise money for Schools for Schools (S4s). It’s a program that is apart of IC to help rebuild schools that have been destroyed by the war in Uganda. If anyone wants to donate, please let me know (: IC has brought me great joy. All these months of planning are paying off. As long as other people are aware of this humanitarian crisis, and are willing to do something about it, I will feel accomplished. For those that are paying attention to IC and the like, I really cannot say how much I appreciate your support and activism. You really are helping change lives, and that shouldn’t be taken lightly. And once again, if anyone has questions about any of the IC stuff, don’t be hesitant to ask me. I can’t do this alone; it really requires everyones participation.

 

This is a bit of a shorter post since I have 879834209 things to do, but I will try to make the next one longer. SAT and ACT and college apps and, oh that’s right, actual schoolwork, seem to take up time that I don’t have, but it’s okay. Because it’s my last year as a grade school student, and I’ve got to get used to this rapid change.