Do We Really Do What We Say We Will?

I posted this before on The Writer's Vineyard, but it's just one of those things that you need to spread around...

Recently, a young family member (cousin-in-law) announced his decision to enter the Marathon Des Sables.  He and his friends banded together and formed Because We Can, and have decided to run the Sahara Desert to raise funds for cancer research.

My initial reaction to this was the full version of ‘WTF.’  But then I thought what a brave thing they would be doing—to be able to do—because they can.  The race is a full-out, unrelenting, sun-scorching, dehydrating trial of human endurance on the driest place on earth.  Just a minor inconvenience, in the great big picture, compared to someone suffering the ordeal of cancer.  How many of us have already been touched by cancer’s horrible, greedy fingers?  If we haven’t ourselves been touched, we know of someone close enough who has been.  Some have survived, too many we’ve lost.  But affected by it, we are.  And here these young people are doing something truly remarkable to help lash back the sickly reaches of those fingers.

It got me to thinking of how many times we actually do what we say we will.  Even a simple thing like “I’ll call you tomorrow”—but you never do.  I truly try my best to do what I say I will, but admittedly, it doesn’t always happen despite my best intentions.  Or I will push it off for another time.  Or think, someone else will do it.  I’m sure a lot of you have done that.  But I’m sure it’s everyone’s goal to be able to achieve a higher moral standing (I’m hoping so because that’s how I feel despite my cynicism on certain things).  We all want to do good, we all aspire for good things, we all want to be better people.  But it’s hard work.

And nobody likes hard work without some kind of payback in return.  The only payback for this kind of hard work, is the feeling of self-accomplishment.  Of doing good.  Of doing something right.  Of just doing something.

With the start of the new year, I see it fit to put my foot down and do what I say I will.  To change from thinking about doing something, to doing something, in any way I can.  From simple things, to complex things.  I will try my best, in whatever I do, say, or plan, to see it through to the end.  To start, I will help my young friends with their cause.  While I don’t have rainfalls of money showering upon me to donate, I have something else that I can use.  I can write about it.  I can spread the word on the social networks, tell my friends, acquaintances, what have you.  It’s a start and I hope it will make a difference where I can be proud to be accountable for.

What will you do that you say you will?

Cheers.