Shine My Life Like a Light

I want you to look closely at the time this posted was uploaded. IT’S EARLY. I am going to work early today so I can get out early so I can get down to the beach for a free concert at Santa Monica Pier starring Indigo Girls! I’m really excited. I have been mentally preparing for weeks. Last night I packed a canvas bag with a blanket, cups, a wine opener, water, and a sweater, and laid out my beach chair. I made my lunch for today, and I showered and laid out my clothes. It’s like the first day of school.

The downside is that I will not get to see my child. At all. I couldn’t go in to check on him for fear of waking him too early, and when I get home tonight he will already be asleep. I learned my lesson weeks ago that I don’t like to do anything after work because I won’t get to see Kyle, but I made a special exception for this concert. I learned THAT lesson YEARS ago: if Indigo Girls are in town and I have the opportunity to go see them, DO IT or I will kick myself forever after.

I’ve written before how their music is my favorite and how amazing it feels to experience their live concerts. It’s like a high without drugs (as long as you have alcohol). I know this evening will refresh my spirit and leave me dancing for days. But I worry about the price. When I wavered about going tonight, Stewart scoffed at me. “Kyle won’t even notice!” But I will.

Now let’s talk about Oprah. I know, enough with the Oprah. I am talking about Oprah right now because I watched an episode last night that was a 20th anniversary review of her best and worst episodes. And people, we know that she is inspirational and generous, but I have never actually thought about the impact she has made on the world. Twenty years of touching people’s lives. True, she has episodes that highlight stupid things like her bad hair days. Or Jennifer Aniston, who might possibly be the most boring interview of all time. (Who’s with me?!) But she regards her show as her “work,” as in, important work that affects humanity. I think about what she has done for hurricane survivors, for families separated by civil war in Rwanda, for abused women and children, for sick, or lonely, or fat, or drug-addicted people. In the name of good television, she doesn’t give up hope for anybody. I wish I could be such a big person.

Last week I was contacted by a Katrina survivor. Back in the fall, through the blog community I listed my name as someone who wanted to help. My first instinct, upon getting this woman’s email, was skepticism. Could she be trying to scam me? But she asked for towels and underwear and socks for her three daughters. Can that possibly be a scam? I can’t sit here in my air-conditioned office with my STUFF all around me and think of her flooded home with all of its contents on the curb, her daughters crying because they lost everything and now they don’t have uniforms for school, and not want to help. I already went through this last year with a family from Mississippi who had three little boys. My mom posse helped me gather toiletries, school supplies, clothes, and gift cards to send to them. Then I lost contact with them, but not before getting a lovely email thanking us for our generosity.

What’s my point here? I guess my point is that when I think about the little I can do to help someone, I think of Oprah, and how much SHE can do. I emailed the Oprah show telling them about the blog community and how it came together after Katrina to provide some sort of personal network for aid. I want her to send the angels from her network to the woman who emailed me last week, to do more than I can do. I probably won’t hear back from her, so in the meantime, I guess I’ll just do what I can do. And if you want to help me help someone, leave a comment with your contact and I’ll tell you more.