Dear Ally,

With summer gone and that wonderful crispness in the air, I'm feeling newly energized,  hoping you are too. Along with that crisp air, there are some things that sustain and delight me, no matter what the general state of the world may be. Below, a few such "things" ~ quick takes on Giraffes at TEDx, a cautionary tale and a new, very young, Giraffe.

Enjoy.  ~ Ann

 

Giraffes tend to be idealists ~ no surprise in that. But idealists whose causes turn into major public enterprises can be overwhelmed by the necessity of tying up a whole lot of  camels. Consider the long ordeal of Giraffes Carol & Hurt Porter... 

A recent article in the Texas Observer sums up the tribulations of Giraffes Carol and Hurt Porter, founders of KidCare, the first meals-on-wheels program for kids. KidCare took off like a rocket, growing from the Porters' home kitchen into an enormous operation that fed thousands and thousands of hungry kids. Carol and Hurt, totally devoted to their cause, discovered to their horror that others who joined the cause weren't sharing their idealism ~ they had their own agendas. Because it happened on their watch, the Porters had to endure accusations of personal malfeasance, all of which have been disproved, but the KidCare operation was destroyed in the process. The Texas Observer piece makes it clear that the Porters have been totally honorable, every step of the way. But their misplaced trust in others serves as a caution to all who launch altruistic ventures ~ Tie up that camel!

                                               ... Aitan Grossman, who received his Giraffe Commendation as part of his Bar Mitzvah in September. Which means, of course, that this Giraffe is 13 years old. To see what the astonishing young man is doing with his life (so far), just look at his website. In this delightful photo, Aitan is bringing his cause to kids in a Botswana classroom. He's working on the rest of the world now.