Charity
8 January 2007 by jaksoul
Scott Harrison is an man of extremes. From the insane extremes of the new york party scene to helping provide water to people in some of the world’s most deprived regions is along way to go in a lifetime (let alone a couple of years). hearing him speak last night, it was, ironically enough, this unlikely juxtaposition that gave his story real depth. There are plenty of people doing good works in Africa, but somehow his past life hedonistic extremes provides him with a unique perspective and drive,all of which is incredibly infectious.
He’s talking tomorrow at the Apple store shop on Regent’s St from 7 and you should try and make it down if you can. (although methinks it will be pretty busy down there for other reasons)
And there is more on his charity here.
8 January 2007, on 9:11 pm
i was reading this as i sit here in my pokey room somewhere in london, and occasionally i listen to people tell me about how they’re about to board a plane to malawi or madagasgar or indonesia.
how they’re going for two weeks or six months or four years to help women and children; to help farmers; to teach young men and old; to build a well or put in irrigation system or pilot hovercraft to hard to reach flood ridden areas and i think… wow. that’s so amazing. that’s so righteous and good and brave and inspiring.
and i think… i couldn’t do that. well, ok i could. but you know, i just don’t feel… called to do it.
i just don’t feel God saying “go where its hot and maybe a bit uncomfortable and you don’t know anyone and you have to leave your wifi connection and hot showers and rss feeds behind.”
i just don’t hear him saying that to me so i’ll feel humbled that you guys are doing it and, well, i’ll pray for you and give you a little money. but from here though. from in my pokey room, with wifi and a hot shower and an rss feed to my favourite music blog.
but then its monday night and i just read scott’s myspace blog post and it occurs to me… damn. that’s it.
it’s not about being called to africa or asia or even kings cross.
its getting up off my clean, technologically well-connected ass and having the courage to get a bit uncomfortable and make a difference.
imagine if i had to batter someone round the head in order for them to be stirred into action to help out?
and maybe its the new year and i just fancy a challenge but scott’s story is more than a challenge, its an inspiration to stop looking for excuses.
so yeah, read his myspace blog and go hear him speak.
lets do something rather than nothing.
11 January 2007, on 1:21 pm
[...] So I had to leave my auto-refresh-athon early cause I had to go see this guy, Scott Harrison, at (of all places) the Apple Store on Regent st. I arrived, half expecting to see hordes of rabid fans descending on the place to bow down in worship, and sat down to listen to his talk. It was quite a harrowing hour really, the photos he shows are hard to look at, just the most horrendous things that poverty can do to people. All the time, just behind me, a hundred imacs are glowing with the freshly updated apple website and yet the more I listened the less it mattered. All this other stuff, reality, pain and suffering, the amazing work of people like Scott, it’s an antidote to all the junk we fill our lives with. It’s not that there is anything inherently wrong with apple or cool new stuff or brands in general, it’s just how hard it can be trying to keep things in their place, trying to maintain a balance. Everything in moderation (except moderation itself) as my mother used to tell me. [...]