Where I stand on the Ice Bucket Challenge

I know it's been a while. Lately, however, I have found myself with things to say and no one to say them to. I mean, I have people who will "listen" but you know - I think I like the idea of blogging better than the idea of just talking to myself. Anyway, I've (as I'm sure you have been) watching 1,000 (ok - maybe 100s) of friends and family dump cups, pails, buckets, containers of ice/cold/lukewarm/bath water. (I don't really know the temperature - I'm just guessing from the reactions.) I knew it was coming, we don't live under a rock, after all. I knew that someone was going to announce they had been challenged. That day came today. I will admit that I was guilty of reading a couple of articles on people's opinions but didn't go to the source. I told the kids that I wanted more information, they had already looked it up - on the www.alsa.org website. First of all, I was impressed. Second of all, I realized that I am fundamentally an anti-bandwagon kind of person, a negative Nellie, a kill-joy (I think you get my meaning.) Here are some facts cut and pasted from the alsa website: Between July 29 and today, August 12, The ALS Association and its 38 chapters have received an astonishing $4 million in donations compared to $1.12 million during the same time period last year. The ALS Association is incredibly grateful for the outpouring of support from those people who have been doused, made a donation, or both. Contributions further The Association’s mission to find a cure for ALS while funding the highest quality of care for people living with the disease. "We have never seen anything like this in the history of the disease,” said Barbara Newhouse, President and CEO of The ALS Association. “We couldn’t be more thrilled with the level of compassion, generosity and sense of humor that people are exhibiting as they take part in this impactful viral initiative." Here's more: With only about half of the general public knowledgeable about amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, the Ice Bucket Challenge is making a profound difference. Since July 29, The Association has welcomed more than 70,000 new donors to the cause. "While the monetary donations are absolutely incredible,” said Newhouse, “the visibility that this disease is getting as a result of the challenge is truly invaluable. People who have never before heard of ALS are now engaged in the fight to find treatments and a cure for ALS." Pretty incredible, isn't it. It just made me realize how often I let other's viewpoints shape my point of view. I have told my kids all their lives "don't let others decide for you - go to the source and get TRUTH! Seems like I needed a reminder of that wise advice. I also realized that if my kids wanted to dump a bucket of cold water on their heads, just for the fun of it, so what? If my kids want to dump ice cold water on their heads and learn a valuable lesson about a disease people are suffering from, even better. If my kids want to show they can research, go to the source, make their own decision, priceless. For what it's worth, we had a great family night and it all began by one kid deciding to dump some ice cold water on her head.