The season of the charity collectors is upon us and everywhere I seem to go, the jingle of charity collection tins is ringing in the air. This annoys the hell out of me!!! I really don't know exactly why it irks me so much, but it does!
I don't mind the calls of "Big Issue, Sir?" as I walk down the street. I usually buy a copy and then tell the rest "no thanks, mate" in a polite way which seems to go down ok with the folks selling the magazine. But, tin shakers .... the glare and scowl from them as you walk past, jeez ... if looks could kill there would be a messy bloodbath outside M&S. Nuns! Nuns with collecting tins ... watch out ... not just a glare when you don't put your money in the tin, but I am sure they are having a word with the good Lord upstairs and placing a curse on you as well.
Now, I am not a scrooge and I do support a few charities. I actively support NCH Scotland, a fabulous charity raising money for kids. I support them so much that I was prepared to jump out of a perfectly good aeroplane (well, that is debatable) 2 miles up into the sky and skydive to raise money for them a couple of years ago and actively fundraise still.
What a day to remember that was! Up very early to drive to the airfield, do the safety stuff, get kitted out and wait for the weather to clear to get jumping. 2 jumpers were called and I was one of them. We went off to the hangar to have our final checks and then into the plane. Jeezo! The plane with no door and no seats!!!!!
It took 20 minutes to get to the right altitude to jump and everything was looking beautiful until the instructor of my fellow jumper told her to get into the doorway and prepare to jump. I watched as Gillian fell into the clouds below and knew it was my turn next.
I got into the doorway and waited for my instructor to push out of the door. We were off! OH MY GOD - the rush of adrenalin was amazing! We were falling to the ground, through the clouds at over 175mph. The noise was deafening. After falling for 10 000 feet it was time to pull the ripcord and hope to hell that the canopy would open! The fact that I am typing this lets you know that it did open :o)
The noise disappeared and everything was silent. I was able to look at the patchwork of fields below being crossed by roads and I was able to see the Ochil Hills that I see from my flat everyday, from above!
It took about 15 minutes to parachute the second 10 000ft and sadly it was all over. I was desperate to get right back on the plane and get up there to do it all again.
SO ... when I have people rattling charity collection tins in my face and asking for money I get very tempted to ask them if they would do what I have done to raise money and not judge me just because I didn't put a few coins in their tin. I did raise a huge amount for charity with the huge help of my friends and family .. although I do sometimes wonder if some gave so generously on the off-chance that I may have been splattered across the rural Perthshire countryside :o) LOL
Haven't been around for a bit and haven't been visiting as often as I should have ... apologies! Things ain't quite all rosey here at the moment but I'll be back as often as I can :o) Dad going into hospital for major surgery (again) tomorrow so I may be away for a bit xxx
9 comments:
well, it's obvious to me that YOU are the crazy one and not me lol won't catch me jumping out of a plane...no sirreee lol but it's great you did that and raised money to boot!
wow, you must be a wee bit scared bout your dad's surgery. fingers, toes, legs, and anything else i can crossed. i'm sure everything will be fine. please let us know how it went. i'll be thinking about you all..xoxoxo
Fantastic with the skydive!!! You're braver than me with that!!...rockclimbing and rappel I'm ok with but....nope, never, ain't getting me to jump out of no plane!!! :D
sorry to hear about your dad, will keep you all in my thoughts!! :)
I had always wanted to skydive and when the charity were looking for volunteers ... I jumped at the chance (excuse the pun! lol)
Dad goes into hospital this evening for a long op tomorrow - he's probably the least worried out of all of the family! lol Into intensive care / high dependency and then a couple of weeks in a side room and he should be home and well on the way to a full recovery! Jeez ... he hates hospitals but has spent the best part of the last 3 years in them hahahaha .... poor sod!
Hugz to your (((((Scotties dad))))..... and are you bloody mad, its all they can do to get me on a normal aeroplane, but jump out of one NEVER, well unless there was a fire or something and we was over water, and was low to the ground and and and LOL
YOU HAD A PINK parachutte LOL........ oh my and what a handsome chappie you are, what!!! and not a ginger hair in sight LMFAO
be well, good luck to your dad and be safe.......xxx
x
oh and yep, those tin shakers get on me nerves to :)...... I meself to loads for charity though me lads clubs and through the schools and off me own back..... I do me bit and low and behold a tin shaker that gives me the 'evil eye' they are likely to have the tin poked in it :)
x
No ginger here LMFAO ... and my parachute was striped with pink as ONE of the colours .... ya cheeky mare! hahahahaha
I did look a right chump in the get up though hahaha - we had to wear one of those old fashioned skin tight flying hats with gogles .... you notice I didn't post a pic of that :o)
pink parachute, but no ginger in sight....good one MT!!! :))
I did like the mention of the evil eye...I usually say something like I give privately, which we do, but I don't like feeling obligated to these people...I want to know that the money I give isn't going to run a beaurocracy and only a small portion goes to help...well, that's my twa pence!! :)
My sentiments echo the others exactly, i.e. what a (1) brave, (2) mentalist, and (3) "hot in your skydiving outfit" boy you really are! And well done!
The charity collection things I hate the most are those student types who accost me in the street and pretend to be my best mate so I will start a £15 a month D/D to their no-name charity - not because they *care* about the cause, but because they *get paid* for every person they sign up!!!
Get well soon to your dad too, mister.
newplanet ... keep em coming .... flattery will get you everywhere !! hahahaha
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