I’m off on holidays – give me your money
Right, so I haven’t blogged for over two weeks and during that time I’ve completed a formidable amount of work, narrowly refrained from killing a few people, seen a fab gig (Portuguese Fado wonder Mariza), been to the movies five times and even met some of you – so you’d think I’d be able to write something interesting wouldn’t you? But no, I’m just going to moan.
You see, this weekend someone asked me if I wanted to go on a trek to Nepal – for charity.
Now call me selfish, naive… downright mean if you will, but this is something that I really don’t understand. Oh, I know that people sponsor you for your efforts and it can raise lots of money, but it’s really just going on holidays for charity. It’s not particularly honourable and it’s certainly not showing your level of ‘commitment’. Cycling the the length of the Alps or climbing K2 may be a personal achievement, but it’s hardly the same as actually doing volunteer work or campaigning for a cause day in, day out. It’s more like guilting someone else into financially indulging your foolhardiness.*
So as much as I would like to visit Nepal one day, I won’t be going for charity. And if I want to support said charity, I’ll take the less glamorous route and simply send them a cheque.
* Speaking of which, if you need an excuse to give money to a not-so-good cause, you can sponsor my annual JJJ Hottest 100/Countdown-athon where I stay up all night with a bottle of vodka and watch old Cure, Stone Roses, Mondo Rock and Marilyn videos and mourn my lost youth. I promise the money will be going to worthy cause, even if its just my Asprin Fund.
Tags: half-baked conjecture
February 1st, 2010 at 8:46 am
Hi ya,
great minds agree http://bltp-theworldismycountry.blogspot.com/2007/07/too-much-charity.html
it’s been a bug bear of mine for a while. If people I know just came round and said we are doing a collection for x or y I’m always happy to chip in but all this Peru treking nonsense is solipcism.
February 1st, 2010 at 9:38 am
A couple neighbours knocked at my door recently saying they wanted the neighbourhood to get together to get to know each other and,while we were there, hear about their ‘roomate’s’ recent NGO trip to Cambodia. Alarm bells immediately rang but I said why not.
Then the formal invite comes through the door and it’s all about this person’s Cambodian trip and how we can all make a difference if we try. I knew it was fishy.
We’re not going.
February 1st, 2010 at 3:45 pm
You’re spot on. This really gets on my pips. A way for gung-ho types to get kitted out in six hundred quid’s worth of North Face gear, and indulge their own personal fantasies of being Ranulphe Fiennes or Marco bloody Polo. GAH!
February 1st, 2010 at 9:13 pm
It always seems to be those annoying rugger~bugger types doing these things.
I’m tempted to start a Blogging from Bora Bora fund. Perhaps we could put the hat round at the next blog meet?
February 1st, 2010 at 10:16 pm
You’re all agreeing with me here?! I think working in the City is beginning to warp my perspective on things – every second person in my gym wears a poxy T-shirt advertising some charitable feat they’ve achieved. I feel like a social pariah in there.
I’m up for the Blogging from Bora Bora fund, Mondo. It has a nice ring to it…
February 2nd, 2010 at 8:48 am
yes! I am agreeing!!!
There has been a spate of these flying round work in the last week or 2… a motorbike mad fella riding from John O’Grotes to Lands End (sounds like hell on earth to me, but to him that was the best two weeks of his life), cycling round France and similar.
I’d like to see a return of HUMILIATION into charity fund raising!! Whatever happened to sitting in a bath of baked beans? or having half of your hair shaved off?? I want value for money people!!
P
February 2nd, 2010 at 10:12 pm
Yes, the old sitting in a bath of baked beans! I suppose the modern day equivalent of that is ‘I’m a celebrity’ isn’t it? I think they give a percentage of the phone earnings to charity. 0.005% probably. A sponsored ‘quiet’ might be nice too. I’d offer good money for some people to shut up!
February 4th, 2010 at 4:36 pm
You are so right about people collecting money in the name of charity to fund their adventures. So right on. This is one of the reasons why I enjoy reading your blog so much. Thanks.
February 4th, 2010 at 9:14 pm
That’s very kind of you Haru, although I really should stop moaning. I do do more interesting things in my life and I really should write about them more. Some things are too good to not complain about though, aren’t they?!