What's the Big Deal about May 22nd?

Several people have asked, so this is as good a place as any to try to explain May 22^nd.

You know how everyone looks forward to Christmas? You feel happy and keenly aware of the season and the good people and aspects of your life. There is a pervasive sense of magic. There is anticipation of wonderful surprises.

Well, a million years ago, when I was about 10 or 11 years old, I decided that I wanted a day like that all to myself. I chose May because it’s a pretty, green month, and 22 because the numbers are round and curvy and identical. There is no other reason. It commemorates nothing.

But since then, I have celebrated it as a day to notice how great my life is. I always know good things will happen that day: A call from a someone I haven’t heard from in years. A rebate check I’d forgotten I sent away for. Friends inviting me out for lunch or drinks. A hairstyle that works perfectly on the first try. More things checked off the to-do list than added. Even if I spend the day alone, mowing the lawn or doing laundry, it is a perfect, zen-mowing afternoon, and the weather is always perfect. The few years it rained, it turned out that those days were absolutely ideal for curling up with a great book.

It’s a day when life is really really good and I’m particularly inclined to notice. It's when I celebrate... just being.

Help for a Friend's Child

Those of you who know me, know that I never, ever send out spammish letters like this. Heck, I don’t even forward cute LOL cat pictures. However, today, I’m making an exception.

Allie Gagnon is the daughter of a good friend of mine in the local Mothers of Twins and Triplets club. Allie is just a bit younger than my twins, and I’ve known her since she was born. Sweet girl. Great family. Awesome mom. As sometimes happens with multiples, Allie has cerebral palsy. She needs a fancy-schmancy wheelchair to get around, and a special van to transport it. Unfortunately, the family has 4 other kids, including others with special needs. Mom is in school to become a nurse so she can get a better paying job to help with the crippling finances. Dad works... and works and works. But still, the cost of caring for a child like Allie is astronomical.

My mothers club has decided to solve the problem. We’re doing charity walks, spaghetti dinners, auctions, etc. In addition, we’ve discovered that Luvs diapers is having a contest to win $1000. People register a child or charity as a recipient and friends go the the Web site and vote. You can vote every day, as it turns out. We’ve got Allie as one of the kids you can vote for, and for a while she was in the lead. But now, we need more, which is why I’m writing to you.

Please go to the Luvs site. There, you'll see a list of all the “signs” of people hoping to win the money. Type “allie” in the search box (lower case). This will take you to a sign that is by Tina of Montgomery (Tina is the club member who found this resource).

Vote.

Yes, you’ll have to “register" and give them your information—I suppose this is where the gimmick is that makes it worthwhile for the Luvs company to give away money.

To learn more about the Spreading Sunshine For Allie project, visit alliegagnon.org.

Thanks for whatever help you can give, even if it’s just a click a day.

Membership Milestone

Today, American Mensa has 56,935 members. This is the highest membership level ever, surpassing even the 1989 high of 56,929.

And to think, some members are wailing that Mensa has lost its way. If so, the numbers do not seem to support that theory.

My Kid Will Like This

Mensa video games!

Unconnected comments

It occurs to me that since January, I've been Communications Officer longer than anyone else (Marie served 4 years).

I'm looking forward to working with the new Bulletin editor. We met last Friday and I feel good about the direction the publication will be heading. We saw eye-to-eye on most values and priorities, most particularly an increase in member-involvement.

A lady recently called me to tell me she's quitting Mensa because another member insulted her by calling Christianity a mythology. The Revelle Report revealed that a huge reason people quit is because they don't feel welcomed by the local members. How on earth is the AMC supposed to legislate ways to force members to be nice to each other?

Nonconformists vs The Majority

I have seen members opine that anybody who is a nonconformist and bucks the
"groupthink" on the AMC gets frustrated and ends up quitting or refusing to run in the first place.

Gosh, that sounds really bad. So I got to pondering....

What is the difference between a "nonconformist" and a "holder of a minority viewpoint" in a democratic society? Isn't the whole point of voting to make the resulting decision one that most members agree on.?

Should nonconformists roll over and give up since they'll never win a vote, or should they stay on in order to ensure that all views, even minority ones, are aired? Perhaps Mensa would be better served if they work cooperatively and respectfully within the larger group towards compromises that might please even more members.

"My way or the highway" approaches to making Board decisions usually result in... worn out shoe leather.