January 1, 2011 - A Clean Slate

New years are almost like having a clean slate. New beginnings, resolutions made and not yet broken, a fresh start, out with the old, in with the new. It's refreshing to think you can start off with a clean slate, take the little red magic writing pen and make your mark for 2011 without all the old baggage you have been carrying around with you for the past year.

Some things though you do carry forward with you, like maybe your mortgage that still has 28 years, 11 months and 12 days to go before being paid off. Or maybe you are one of the 15 MILLION unemployed, in which case you hope you can write, "Today I found a job!" on your clean slate.

Or maybe you are a family that has lost a loved one to an untimely death, due to war, a drunken driver, a drive by shooting, street violence, disease or just some stupid accident. A clean slate doesn't help much in these instances, maybe just gently lift and roll up the magic slate to just before the loss, that would be good enough.

Nevertheless we look upon the New Year as a fresh start, like taking down the 2010 calendar and tossing it in the trash as an act where we can toss out all the bad old stuff with it. When I lived in California I would often walk along the beach on December 31st and reflect on the year past and what changes I was going to try to make in the new year. Not so much the making of resolutions as it was a time for inward thinking. For some reason feeling the sand between my toes tended to ground me and I viewed the waves constant motion and change as a reflection of time itself.

As we embark upon this new year let's remember that there is lot's of work to be done. If you are young and nimble find a cause and put some of your free hours to work helping others. Seniors too have time to give, do what your body will allow, every little bit helps. Hunger never takes a holiday, and the next few months local area FOOD BANKS will begin to see a decline in donations and help. It's the usual seasonal slump after the holiday giving wears off. We are a very giving nation but we need to be reminded from time to time. Click here to locate a food bank in your area.

Matt Damon has WATER as a cause. Simply to bring accessible water to parts of this world where water is not a close as your kitchen faucet. A simple necessity - water - which we just take for granted. Most organizations are happy to accept your dollars, but many are delighted when you can give the gift of time to lend a hand.  Click here for Water.Org information, check out the possibilities.

These are just two of life's necessities -  Food and Water - where your help is needed year round. Get involved in something this new year. Remember 2011 A New Year, a clean slate waiting to be written upon. This is the year you can make your mark.