NK - Toy Tourney

[Keith Duke]

Thank you Diarmaid - that is actually one of my favorite passages, and one I
like to use as a test for my own personal actions.

Everyone else -

I think that we agree on:

More toys = good
Less toys = bad

If this is a "thing" that Northkeep wants to be known for, do we necessarily
need any other group to compete against? United way doesn't exactly compete
with the March of Dimes, yet both have goals and in essence compete with
themselves on a historical basis...

I agree with Diarmaid that our crowing about winning *is*  ungracious, but
then so is whining about losing. If you get cleanly stomped on the tourney
field do you sulk?

The competition was supposed to be a *friendly* one designed to ultimately
benefit children who would otherwise do without. In any competition there
are winners and losers, but if some other group was to show up with a dump
truck full of toys, gotten in a legal & proper manner, two things would
happen - I would be delighted that there are a bunch of kids who will
directly benefit by my getting my toy-tourney ass kicked, and I would be
compelled to try harder next year. That is the spirit of friendly
competition.

Yes, we do have the advantage of size over some groups, and we do have some
individuals who have made it their mission to bring in piles of toys. Good
for them!  Do what you can and enjoy what you do.  If this isn't your thing,
then don't play.

Mayhap we could total up the toys from each group, divide it by the total
official populations of the groups and come out with a statistical winner.
Would that assuage any bruised feelings? Would it increase the overall level
of donations/participation? Would there still be complaints?

Excellencies Thorgrim & Sigen - would you consider such an equalizer?

I hardly think that anyone is going for the "glory" of winning this contest.
We had the most toys.. Woohoo. BFD. Kids who would have gotten zip got
something cool and it made their holiday better. *That* is worth competing
for.

Like giving blood, volunteering, or any other "thing" where you give of
yourself, the reward is in your reason for doing it.

Personally, I'm going to bring what toys I can. It pleases me to think that
such a small thing for me can make some unknown child happy. I'm not rich.
I'm not poor. I pay the bills & do the best I can.  If my small actions,
combined with others actions, mean that we have a heap o' toys then good.
The world can do with a little less misery.


Piotr/Keith


Carol & Keith Duke - duke at gte.net
Hers:"Not in MY house, you don't!"
His:"Stop slapping. I'm silly already..."