The Wingwalker

After attending the Watsonville Fly-in, "Salute to Our Heroes," during Memorial Day Weekend, my father's love of airplanes and stunt piloting was rekindled in me. I couldn't get enough. The best part is that air shows are generally run by nonprofit organizations and they allow local charities to run concession/drink stands to earn bundles of needed cash for programs beneficial to the community. The Watsonville event felt like a cozy hometown get-together, though ten times larger than the last time I attended as a little girl while Dad was still alive. We would hang out behind the ropes with his friends who had flown small planes from the Bay Area to show their restoral work. Since those early days, the Fly-in and now the California International Air Show have become major summertime events, drawing crowds from every corner of the state and beyond. Both are volunteer-run, so anyone with an interest in airplanes and flying can rub shoulders with pilots young and old, civilian and military.

Our family favorite this time in Salinas was the "flying lady" wingwalker stunt team, with Gene Soucy and Teresa Stokes. I had seen this type of show with Dad back in the early days, so this brought back a flood of memories. Daddy and his friends used to scare me and my brother with their loops and barrel rolls. Imagine going for a roller coaster ride with no apparatus, just air! Teresa literally walks and balances all over the plane, sometimes with no tether. My girls and I affirmed "Girl Power" to each other while watching these amazing feats of courage and strength on the Showcat. The announcer lauded Teresa's career as a stunt pilot herself, as well as a celebrated aircraft artist who had designed the graphics for the very wings she was walking with her boyfriend Gene at the controls. As Teresa proceeded to scale the upside-down plane, the announcer went on in his stating-facts voice that among her many talents and feats,Teresa had also recently donated a kidney to said boyfriend. The girls and I now watched this duo with awe and inspiration.

As the "flying lady" stunt show came in for a landing, the grandstand audience squinted to discover that Teresa was this petite, beautiful, blonde bombshell; far from her twenties but no worse for the wear. "That's the lady who was standing on her head up there in the sky? Cool!" Not only is Teresa gorgeous, but she does not come close to showing her age. You can check out her webpage at www.genesoucy.com to do the calculations. As for my family, we hope she flies forever, even if she and Gene do have to share a kidney to keep up their act. They have incorporated organ donation awareness as a part of their message. Being a registered donor myself, I'm happy to share an excerpt from their story:

"With both operations a success, Gene reports feeling the best he ever has in his life and Teresa is as great as she was before the procedure. It is as if there was never anything wrong to begin with. Now that the threat of losing his life to kidney disease is behind him, Gene and Teresa have returned to airshows and thrilling audiences all over the country. In addition to their incredible act, they strive to promote their success with kidney transplantation and increase awareness of organ donation. They want everyone to know and understand that there are thousands of people waiting for organ donations to save their lives, yet these people are dying because healthy organs are being buried and not put to use. People are dying merely from a lack of awareness. Just by letting your family know of your after-death wishes to donate your organs and by signing the back of your drivers license or by carrying an organ donor’s card, you can help or save the lives of 69 people! You can even make a living donation of a kidney, partial liver, bone marrow, or other organs. All procedures have been made so much easier by modern methods practiced in places all across the country, such as the University of Maryland Medical Systems.

"Who knows? Someday you or someone you love might need an organ transplant just like Gene Soucy. There is no greater gift than the gift of life. Help give it to as many people as you possibly can." (http://www.genesoucy.com/kidney_transplant.htm)

3 Ways to Make a Difference

• Organ and tissue donation is a very personal matter. Find out how you can make a powerful difference to save lives at: http://www.organdonor.gov/

• Cool Memorial Day Weekend Volunteering at the Fly-in: http://www.watsonvilleflyin.org/volunteers.html

• Cool August Volunteer Opportunity in Salinas (18 & Up) http://www.salinasairshow.com/volunteer.htm

Honk for Lemonade

Regardless of our crazy Northern California weather patterns and a possible global-warming-induced chilly summer, it's still the season for lemonade stands, garage sales, and car wash fundraisers. It seems my neighborhood has hosted fewer of these gatherings this year; perhaps everyone is out of town? During my typical taxi rounds yesterday I noticed a very colorfully drawn lemonade stand poster and remembered my creed to stop at all such kid-run enterprises to promote youthful productivity. I always feel sorry for the children whose parents forgot to give them a reality check that business would be slow so they need to charge more than ten cents per cup to make it worth the effort.

The Cowper Street kids had it down: fifty cents for a clear plastic cup of pink or yellow sweet lemonade, and seventy-five for half a slice of freshly baked banana bread. I looked in my wallet and only found twenties, then remembered my son Brody's first such money-making endeavor when he sold Minute Maid and my special triple chocolate chip cookies. The cookies were such a hit that one customer gave him a twenty and said, "keep the change." While waiting for my neighbors to help the previous customer, I contemplated their cause but decided as a a school employee I'd better get my change this time. After purchasing for myself and my daughter Meredith, the total due: $2.50. The beautiful young girl began to count out $8.00 as change for my twenty, and I pitched in with a mini math lesson. Counting back the $17.50 proved to be a challenge, she was very careful but obviously drained by the task. I asked her and the little brother if they had to reimburse their parents for supplies? (This was the point where Brody used to say, "No fair, Mom!") The kids responded yes, their parents made them pay back for the supplies to make the lemonade and the bread. By the looks of the Tupperware coffer, they actually stood to make a profit as their prime location on the main drag kept the stand going steady.

When I got back into my car, I sensed that unexpected but undeniable feeling that I had done a good deed today. How, you say, can filling one's tummy with processed sugar and carbohydrates be positive? I know fourteen years ago at age nine, my son Brody and his partner-in-crime Jimmy were given a job to do on an otherwise boring summer day. The sheer excitement of a car stopping was enough to satisfy those two young boys. I will never forget the gleaming smiles when they realized that after expenses they had netted a whopping $35! Who knows how much the Cowper Street kids made yesterday, but they were occupied and feeling good about a contribution to their community. My $2.50 could not have been better spent.

Good Works Cool Community Service Project: Host a Lemonade Stand for Charity

1. Gather supplies from home, or make a shopping list (be frugal, get donations).
2. Choose a local, state, or national cause that you feel strongly about. (Ex: bicycle safety, teen homelessness, earthquake preparedness, etc.)
3. Find an organization that serves that cause, research ways to donate small amounts of cash. (Usually you can find a "donate" button on the website)
4. Make a large, fabulous, colorful sign to advertise your cause and prices of goods to sell. If possible, include a true story of someone who has benefited from this organization.
   
5. Make delicious lemonade and treats.
   
6. Set up a clean stand, with a fresh tablecloth or plastic cover and a cash box (be sure to get some change for large bills).
   
7. Be sure to tell your customers the money is going to your designated cause. You may reimburse yourself (or your parents) for supplies, but IMMEDIATELY after your sale is over and cleaned up take the cash to the post office and purchase a money order made out to the charity that you advertised. Very important ethical issue: DO NOT change causes after your sale, and BE SURE the cash goes straight to the organization. This can be tricky if you have not researched how to send the money before the sale.
8. You can use the same to-do list and concept to host a yard sale or car wash for the cause of your choice, or even try all three.
   

Have fun doing good works this summer, there's still time!

Service by Example

This week started out in a very hot church in Campbell, where I attended the memorial service for a relative. Carol Shortt had spent half of her seventy-one years battling the dreaded autoimmune disease lupus. An added benefit of attending the service was to experience her persona when she was healthy and whole. Carol had a loving and supportive husband who was determined to provide a decent quality of life for his beloved. Even when her body was nearly crippled, he helped maintain her desire to serve in the community by regularly driving her to a nearby nursing home to play the piano for the residents there. He said that even when her hands could no longer play all of the notes, Carol would sit and the keyboard and try to keep the melody. I’m sure the residents at the care facility did not care that the music was imperfect, just that she was still there as always, giving what she had to offer.

I was invited to share in the life celebration of another South Bay stalwart yesterday, an even larger gathering to honor Lynne Shawhan, who died at age 53 after a two-year battle with breast cancer. I did not personally know Lynne, but she is a member of my close friend’s family. I was moved by the depth of sorrow for the loss of this woman in so many lives she touched. Her gift was friendship.

Each of the joyful eulogists maintained that indeed she was Lynne’s best friend. I was told that she came to know all the parents of her children’s friends by first talking to them in the bleachers at their high school sporting events. From the powerful impressions at her service, I perceive Lynne Shawhan was someone who never took herself too seriously and always had time to strike up a conversation with anyone in her midst. How often do we selectively pick and choose who we will open ourselves up to, who we will allow into our lives? Lynne had no fear of the human race, she took it all in, seeing the good in others.

Now toward the end of the week I reflect on my own attitudes and tendencies to become overwhelmed and stressed out, with these two great ladies having touched my soul. I feel privileged to have been given a glimpse of what is truly important, once again. As Mom observed on the way home from Carol’s service, "No mention has ever been made about all the material goods a person has left behind—only the impressions they have left." Sometimes we don’t do enough to reach out, and other times we may do too much. Carol and Lynne seemed to have found the balance where true happiness lies, neither of them complaining about the hands they were dealt. I’m reminded that what we give is the way we will be remembered, not by what we've accumulated. It’s not what we have or what we do that matters most; but what we do with it, how we do it, and for whom that really counts.

Carol:

She volunteered her time to her church and Convalescent Hospital Ministry for the last 18 years coordinating religious music programs. In lieu of flowers, the family request donations be made in Carol's name to Convalescent Hospital Ministry 65 W. Rincon Ave. Campbell, CA 95008. (http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/mercurynews/obituary.aspx?n=carol-shortt&pid=129954256)

Lynne:

During her illness, she endured many ups and downs, but through it all maintained her incredible sense of humor. Even when in pain, Lynne was more concerned with the happiness of those she loved. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation in Lynne's name. (http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/mercurynews/obituary.aspx?n=lynne-shawhan-thompson&pid=130509865)

Why Serve?

In my capacity working on a high school campus and sharing community service ideas with our students, I often hear them ask if volunteering is a graduation requirement. Although there are fifteen hours of service as part of the district’s Living Skills class, technically there is no absolute requirement that service be performed to graduate. But, for some reason Palo Alto High School students demonstrate an intense level of social awareness. As mentioned in my previous blogs, our students are involved in everything from the local food bank to volunteering for relief organizations in Sri Lanka. I often consider the reasons why young people become interested in service, and how they might be motivated to share their talents in the community.

Scholars on the subject of volunteering have defined some of the driving forces to include:

· Acknowledgment of contributions

· Being part of a group

· Improved self-confidence

· A sense of accomplishment

· Opportunities to share proficiencies and talents

My own observations in collaborating with dozens of students on group and individual projects further demonstrate the motivating factors:

· A chance to explore interests and passions

· An outlet for creative self-expression

· A forum for connecting with the world outside of school

Some students are merely inspired by outside individuals, even celebrities, to perform service. Several notables have promoted the concept this summer. Michelle Obama and Maria Shriver on June 22, 2009 joined forces to encourage the spirit of volunteerism across America in conjunction with their appearances at the 2009 National Conference on Volunteering and Service. Former South African President Nelson Mandela, now 91 years old, called on people worldwide to do good works in celebration of his birthday. People were asked to spend 67 minutes volunteering on July 18^th, as a symbol of the 67 years Mandela spent campaigning against apartheid. A concert to kick off Mandela Day was held in New York with artists Stevie Wonder, Alicia Keys, and Aretha Franklin performing. Superstars like these are sure to inspire dedication to a cause.

Occasionally, I have the pleasure to meet with students who are neither driven by a sense of obligation, or outside inspiration, but by a simple and sincere desire to make a difference. Those are the students who look inside themselves to discover a connection between their unique talents and a pressing need in their community. They take the initiative to develop projects with little or no direction, just because they know it will be helpful to a cause that catches their interest. This type of service is always the most gratifying; it is also the most challenging, requiring us to go outside of our comfort zones.

Four students at our school are working overtime this summer to make their unique contributions in their areas of interest:

· Veronica Dao: organizing information about the community gardens of the Peninsula for student volunteer opportunities

· Charles Zhang: recording the volunteer activities and planning a searchable database of our students’ volunteer experiences

· Michael Abrams and Renee Singh: creating “Paly Environmental Initiative,” a resource to enlighten our school community and to provide free plants to every classroom

These young people and more have been motivated from within, and have taken the initiative to contribute their talents to the betterment of the high school community. Their only recognition comes from the satisfaction of knowing they are creating something that was not there before. Whether we do service by requirement, by inspiration from others, or an internal drive, we can each make a difference when we do good works.

Service Organizations Promoted by Mrs. Obama and Mrs. Shriver

· Corporation for National and Community Service: http://www.nationalservice.gov/

· Points of Light Institute: http://www.pointsoflight.org/

· California Volunteers: http://californiavolunteers.org/index.phphttp://californiavolunteers.org/index.php

Nurturing Works to Live By

The end of the school year, graduation, and summer bring new beginnings with restfulness and growth. Gardens are planted with seeds that require delicate care to produce delicious fruits and vegetables, alongside flowers to color our world. Whether we work to till the soil or merely appreciate those who do, it’s a wonderful time to replenish our souls.

In conversations with my children who are teens and early twenty-somethings, I wanted to see if they were equipped with some tools to nurture their spirits and cope with the pressure that will begin to build again in the fall. After many of life’s blows, I knew what tricks I used to comfort myself, but I was not exactly sure if I had a handle on my children’s methods. A quiver full of these little treasures, practiced regularly, will fend off storms and trials when the seasons change. Better yet, an attempt to soothe one’s own soul can make a difference in the life of another, for a double-good effect!

My Children's List (each with a Good Work twist)...

Feel Better Yourself.....Make a Difference for Someone Else

• Listen to your favorite music.....Make a CD of your favorite songs for a friend or acquaintance
• Cuddle with your pet....Take your pet to a rest home for a visit
• Watch “Finding Nemo:” Learn it and love it.....Remind someone who’s having a bad day to "just keep swimming!” (Dori’s line)
• Get rid of all your extra change via Coinstar.....Take someone to lunch with your spare change
• Hang out with positive people, even if you don’t feel like it.....Try to find someone who’s having a harder time, and hang out with him or her (hint: there will be someone at the local hospital or shelter)
• Do your hair.....Offer to help your brother, sister or friend with their hair
• Organize your closet or drawers.....Surprise your mom or dad by organizing for him or her
• Take a bubble bath.....Give someone else a break so they can take a bubble bath
• Clean.....Clean up after someone else, even if it’s not your mess (no complaining)
• Take a walk.....Walk to a neighbor’s house for a visit
• Read a good book.....Give a good book to a friend (tie a ribbon around as a gift)
• Eat your favorite food (in moderation).....Deliver your favorite food to a friend or neighbor (anonymous is okay)

For more nurturing ideas this summer, visit: http://www.actsofkindness.org/

Stop, Look, and Listen

Another high school student's life was tragically cut short this week on the train tracks near our home, making this the second in one month and the third in our community this school year. Every time I cross the tracks, I worry about our teenagers not understanding how incredibly short life is. When I was in high school and college I had many dark and depressing days. To combat this feeling of hopelessness, I discovered hundreds of little ways to reach out to other people, especially when I felt there was not one thing to look forward to. I don't know exactly where the idea to serve came from, but it saved my life.

My passion for volunteering and community service started when I was a junior at Homestead High School in Cupertino, California. I had moved there from another high-caliber school in Almaden Valley, where I had been a somewhat popular cheerleader with lots of friends and academic success. My first few months at the new school were dismal and lonely as I realized these students had known each other all their lives and had no need for new friends. Luckily for me, there was a group of hearing-impaired students who got together in the cafeteria every day at lunch. I quickly realized that this was my safety net. Instead of sitting out in the quad, exposing to everyone the fact that I was obviously alone, I would drift inside the center and buy lunch just so I could run into the silent bunch of students, busily working their hands into chatter. They took me in, and even attempted to teach me some signs so that they would not have to rely on the inaccuracies of my lips as I spoke. Their simple acceptance of one who was not their kind gave me the confidence I needed to try and make a friend or two at the new school. It was a long, slow process, and I didn't succeed very much, but by the time I graduated there were a few more people I could call friends.

The best outcome of this personal trial was the discovery of several volunteer opportunities in my community, which on some days were the only bright spots: El Camino Hospital Auxiliary ("candy stripers"), a convalescent home in Sunnyvale, and the academic-service clubs at Homestead. I worked with the physical therapists for a while at the hospital trying to rehabilitate a young woman who had tried to take her own life. This reminded me of the need to reach out for help and to never give up. Also, one of my new friends coerced me into adopting a grandmother at a nearby convalescent home. I chose a lady named "May," same as my grandmother and my middle name with a different spelling. May taught me what's it's really like to be lonely twenty-four hours a day. Finally, with two of the high school clubs I helped to provide CPR training and sponsored a Warren Miller ski movie as a fundraiser. Through these events I learned that I might possibly share similar interests with other students at Homestead. Even though it was still an empty time in my life, there were a few unique experiences that drew me outside of myself.

The efforts to assimilate into a community of which I did not feel a part eased the pain of once again being the new kid in town, but some days there was just nothing that would bring me out of my funk. My greatest growth came from the example of a girl from church, Mindy Williams, who may have taken me on as a project but the outcome was the same; she performed little good works for people in her midst for no reason other than to feel good herself. She was also the one with the idea to adopt a grandmother at the rest home. The nicest thing Mindy ever did for me was to make a specially-decorated cake for my sixteenth birthday. I didn't really want a party, because there weren't enough in my circle yet to fill a room, but she brought a few of the church kids over and they sang to me and gave me presents. I decided that night I would try to follow Mindy's lead in reaching out for opportunities to connect with others, instead of looking inside myself at the vast emptiness. It has not been easy, and anyone who knows my story can attest that my losses have been monumental, even after high school. The service ideas I learned as a teenager are what I have always reverted to when facing personal tragedies or even when I am just having a bad day.

As I remembered that very challenging time in my life and its effect on me, I could relate to the students who recently fell prey to the dangers of teen suicide. I wanted to tell all teenagers everywhere, and anyone who feels like calling it quits to "Stop, Look, and Listen." That is the little phrase my kids were taught to recite when they crossed the street as young children. It's also a useful reminder to slow down, especially when we think there is no hope. As my wise mother, a special education teacher, often reminded me, "There's always someone out there who has it worse off than you do." Volunteering and encouraging others to do the same has given me the daily perspective to stay connected to the world around me. Not one of us is expendable; we all have something to give and a purpose. Though it may take a lifetime to find it, we must keep turning the page to our personal story to discover our path, and never give up.

• Stop: Stop doing one thing that makes you unhappy, and start doing one thing that makes you happy.

• Look: Look around yourself at others to find someone who is suffering or hurt, who needs your help.
  

• Listen: Listen to your heart to think of one small way to make a difference today, at home, at school, at work, or in the community.
  

Please spread hope in the world by sharing this message with
anyone you think might need a little light today!

Spare Time

Our high school students share a special culture of reaching outside themselves, out of their comfort zones, to serve the community. Even though we host the President’s Award for Volunteer Service, many of these teenagers would choose to spend their time in this way with no thought of recognition or reward. While high quality community service and volunteering tend to slightly improve student’s chances of acceptance at some private colleges and universities, it is the leadership and creativity that provide the most growth. According to one former Stanford University admissions counselor, “we don’t care how many hours a student racks up building latrines; rather, we like to see personal dedication to a specific project.” These are the types of activities that youth latch onto, in order to experience something new in the world. In the process, they use their spare time to learn something new about themselves. Here is a sampling of past service projects, taken from a few of our files. If you find yourself bored or in need of a volunteer opportunity, I hope this list might inspire you!

Our kids......

• volunteered in rural Honduras
• volunteered at the Stanford Hospital Blood Bank
• served at the VA Hospital
• made tapes for the blind
• shelved books at the public library
• taught middle school students the rules of debate
• cleaned up the Bay
• coached soccer
• tutored peers in the Academic Resource Center
• called Bingo for the elderly
• were docents at the art center and children's museum
• trained Guide Dogs for the Blind
• served food to the homeless
• did farm chores at Hidden Villa
• worked at political campaigns
• worked in science labs doing research
• became camp counselors
• taught music, theater and ice skating to younger students
• helped potential immigrants fill out paperwork
• cleaned up beaches