August 2011 at “me + richard armitage”

I’m headed for another big personal disruption this month (so what else is new? chaos is my new normal), but I’m hoping for minimal disruption to the blog, as writing it still remains my main emotional anchoring activity. I’m wrestling with how much to say about the change, for various reasons, including some signs that a bit more anonymity might be a good thing. No need for concern about me, though — it’s all good. At least I think that about fifty percent of the time! And as tense as I am at moments, I’m in a much better place than I was in June, when your comments, support, and prayers helped me out so much.

However, one thing in August is going to be different than usual. Mr. Armitage is turning forty! It only happens once. If you haven’t yet, go over to RichardArmitageNet.com and add your comment to the birthday tribute page. Lots of great notes are there already there to inspire you to join in with a few words! It’s neat to read how much enthusiasm our fellow fans express for his work, and see all of the encouraging messages.

As for me, in honor of the big Armitage four-oh, every post in August 2011 will include a link to Mr. Armitage’s recommended charities at JustGiving, as well as a link to means of generating a charity contribution on his behalf at RichardArmitageOnline.com, and a link to Act!onAid, a child sponsorship organization for which he recorded a voiceover in December 2010. Accompanying these links you will find a request from me that readers who appreciate his work, or enjoy this blog or others like it, and have the necessary space in their budgets, think about making a donation of some kind to someone or some organization that needs it. And on the weekend before the birthday itself, look for something more specific here about a chance to donate.

In case you’re worried that the blog will change significantly this month: don’t. The beard series will continue! Servetus will continue her squee and her fangrrling! Commentary and analysis, such as they are, will continue unconfined! I read that spoiler regarding Strike Back 2 and anticipate having to write about Strike Back as soon as I can see it. So, yeah, barring another national or world disaster, I’m not going to switch format to all charity all the time, and aside from this post and one or two others, my appeal will be limited to a blurb and a link appended to my usual “me + richard armitage” prose. So don’t worry that I’m going to overwhelm you with preaching. When August ends, I anticipate, I’ll be dropping this theme until Chanukkah. Moreover, I had evidence this spring of how generous you are. So I hardly think all my readers are grinches — I know that some readers here already support important charities that depend on their contributions to keep operating: things like hospitals in Africa, for instance. Don’t stop doing that if you’re doing it! Finally, people and organizations all around us, problems we see every day, need our attention. Those of us living in the Armitage diaspora don’t necessarily have to prioritize the UK Salvation Army or Barnardos in order to be effective, generous givers. I’m starting now because I know that for many people it’s easier to spend — or plan to spend — discretionary income at the beginning of the month than toward the end, when our many other human needs have eaten up any of the minimal spaces in our budgets. Finally: no pressure is intended here beyond the obvious one to think about whether you can give and to take action if you can. Fangrrling is supposed to be fun, not a lever to guilt people into acting in ways they wouldn’t if they weren’t being pressured, or make them feel bad. In the religious language of my childhood: “G-d loveth a cheerful giver.”

An explanation of why I feel so strongly about this will follow eventually. Philanthropy is a significant personal issue for me. Discovering that Richard Armitage seems concerned enough about the less fortunate not only to donate privately, but also to encourage his fans repeatedly to divert their attention to them rather than sending him anything, and thank them when they did so, deepened my already strong admiration for him.

I’m an Armitage blogger, so — perforce — I’m offering Mr. Armitage’s charities as the default option if you don’t have anything else in mind, with the hope that participating in something Mr. Armitage supports might inspire you if you haven’t been moved already. But I’m not married to his specific charities as much as I am to the concept: Give. Freely. With cheer. If, what, you can — time, thoughts, prayers, money — to something / someone that has meaning to you. Do what you can to make a difference. Do whatever seems best to you. Tell about your gift, or keep it a secret. Whatever you do, it will be valuable to the recipient. And keep in mind that even if you don’t see the effect immediately, you will have helped, nonetheless, to repair the world.

~ by Servetus on August 1, 2011.