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Previous issues: 2004 Soapboxes
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Aimee's Soapbox!
September 2005: The Rainy Day
My fellow Groovy English Majors will probably recognize the title of this month's column as the name of a
poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. All Groovy Readers, though, will know the famous line from the stanza
below:
"Be still, sad heart! and cease repining;
Behind the clouds is the sun still shining;
Thy fate is the common fate of all,
Into each life some rain must fall,
Some days must be dark and dreary."
I recently received this poem by email from one of our apparel suppliers here at Runaway Success, Skirt Sports.
The email said that Skirt Sports wanted to live up to its mission statement, not just have one, and so they will
be donating a percentage of sales to Hurricane Katrina relief efforts. They included the poem above and a photo of
New Orleans in the email.
Talk about a Groovy statement to make.
This particular email struck me so powerfully, I think, because it symbolizes something very important to me. Well,
actually TWO very important things.
First, I really dig companies that are good corporate stewards. Personally, and here at our store, I like to
patronize companies that give back to the community, think about the big picture, and practice what they preach.
I mean, we are all connected, right? So I think it's the very essence of Grooviness, Righteousness, and Can-Ya-Dig-It
when people act for the greater good.
Second, I absolutely agree with the sentiment of the Longfellow poem. So many times we throw ourselves into the
Pit of Despair because we didn't run a PR or we gained a few pounds or got yelled at by the boss or got cut off
in traffic. But really, doesn't everyone have bad days? Even the REALLY bad days. Hasn't just about everyone
lost a loved one or had a broken heart or been really ill? And doesn't the sun continue to come up every morning,
and doesn't the Earth continue to spin on its axis? Yes, there is good and bad, there is up and down, there is hot
and cold. These things are just a part of life, and, as your mother probably told you, life is not fair.
Now, I am certainly NOT trying to make light of the situation in the Gulf Coast. I am not trying to equate it to
a bad hair day. What I am saying is that "some days must be dark and dreary" is just a fact of life. AND even during
those dark and dreary days, the sun is still shining behind the clouds.
Look at how many ways in which the sun is still shining. Just about everyone I know has donated money to the Red Cross
or the Humane Society or some other relief agency. Two of our customers from the store are driving down to the ravaged
areas as I type this. Companies, like Skirt Sports, are donating to the cause. (By the way, it's www.skirtsports.com or
1-877-SKIRTS1 if you want to check it out.) And yesterday, my friend called simply to say he was grateful for my friendship.
How cool is that?
Now I know that this column is usually devoted to health, fitness, and running topics. I did want to acknowledge the
Hurricane and what has happened, however, and use it as a "teaching moment."
Hang on, give me a second to get up on my Soapbox. OK, here it is, the Pithy Sentiment for the Month:
EVERY CHALLENGE IS ALSO AN OPPORTUNITY!
Could we foucs on the devestation and chaos of the Huricane? Yes, but let's look instead at how people all over
the country have pulled together to help a group of people they've never met.
Groovy Readers, I would urge you to keep Longfellow's words in your heart, to look at your challenges as opportunities,
to tell your friends that you dig them, and to remember that we are all connected. Now, go make a donation!
Coming up. . .
Not sure yet!
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