Thursday, October 19, 2006

Giving and Getting

The reason why we give, and especially why we donate, is because we inherently believe in the cause at hand and we do not expect anything in return. But, it's time for the WNYC Fall Pledge Drive and the first thing I did was log onto the web page to check out the thank-you gifts. So sue me. It's time to renew my membership to WNYC so I'll be pledging during this drive, but none of the thank-you gifts really jump out at me. What should I request? The new Indigo Girls CD? The This American Life Double CD "Stories of Hope and Fear"? Hmm, I've also got my eye on the subscription to The New Yorker and the America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook. $150 seems like a lot to drop at one go, but you also have to keep in mind that WNYC was my first friend when I moved to this city(sad but true but unsurprising), it plays nearly constantly when I'm home, and it is my primary news source.

Last time I pledged I got the Bruce Springsteen Seeger Sessions American folk song album which is great music to clean the house, thank God, because no one I know will listen to that CD with me.

Speaking of giving something and getting something in return, I recently learned about this fundraiser to purchase a new wheelchair for a 14-year old girl with muscular dystrophy. When you contribute to the wheelchair fund, you can choose to receive a handmade purse or pair of slippers from the girl's aunt, the designer behind the gorgeous and functional Offhand Designs in California. I would recommend clicking on the first link if you'd like to learn more. Now I don't want to start a debate about philantrophy versus altruism (yes I do) but I do know there is doing the right thing for the right reason and doing the right thing for the wrong reason but I highly suspect it doesn't much matter to the girl in need of a new wheelchair.

4 comments:

acaligurl said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
claire said...

not for nothing, but the seeger sessions is one of the single greatest albums i own. although my friend said it made her feel like she was on a farm.

i think she's wrong.

Cupcake said...

I too enjoy the Seeger Sessions. I don't know what everyone's beef is. Maybe it just sounds out of place in my tiny Brooklyn apartment on the wrong side of Flatbush.

Inness said...

I don't mean to sound unsupportive, but wouldn't it help the girl in need more if the grandmother, instead of wasting money on the supplies needed to make purses and slippers, used it on her grandchild instead?

Not that the idea doesn't intrigue me, because God knows my feet are fuh-REEZING most of the time. Plus it's a good cause, you know.