Toys for disadvantaged children.
I've had the same set of running shoes for the past few years. Professional runners say that running shoes should be replaced every three months, or 500 miles, whichever is shorter. Now, I have a "no China" clause. The only place shoes are made in this world are...China! So, how do I go about clearing my conscious about the fact I help support child slavery and sweat shops? How does one counter-act the reality of my purchase? Is it nigh impossible to come clean? I guess I could try.
I bought some toys for needy children to "offset" the bad karma for buying Nike running shoes that are made in China with sweatshop labor. I hopes this helps. I hope I make some poor kid feel like he is worth something to receive these meager gifts. Are my gifts enough? I always thought that creativity trumped every toy imaginable, so I wanted to find toys that would foster creativity and freedom.
One of the most memorable gifts I ever received were a few packs of markers. I drew with those things until they went dry. I hope the markers I give make a memory like that.
One of the most awesome toys I ever owned was a Tonka truck. It was a huge, heavy, blue beast that I would abuse and slam into the ground. That toy kept coming back for more. I played with that truck until I lost it, in the years.
One of the most creative gifts I ever had were water color paints. I could create completely new colors just from mixing of the eight. It seemed to me there were infinite colors to be explored and discovered. I used those paints until they all got used up.
One of the most precious gifts I ever received was from my aunt who gave me a stuffed animal. It was wrapped in aluminum foil and a red ribbon, and my sister helped me unwrap it. It was a stuffed animal dog with big eyes and a little tongue and four stout legs. One of the eyes fell off and tried to glue it back on, but it didn't stay. The knit-on tongue fell off long, long ago. I wondered how he panted when he got hot? I never gave him away. I never threw him away. I never got tired of him. I never lost him into the ether of the past and past memories. He is right here still in my life. He still protects me when I am scared. He soothes me when I am sad. He cuddles me when I need a friend. He doesn't judge. I hope my gift of the stuffed animals makes memories like that.
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I bought some toys for needy children to "offset" the bad karma for buying Nike running shoes that are made in China with sweatshop labor. I hopes this helps. I hope I make some poor kid feel like he is worth something to receive these meager gifts. Are my gifts enough? I always thought that creativity trumped every toy imaginable, so I wanted to find toys that would foster creativity and freedom.
One of the most memorable gifts I ever received were a few packs of markers. I drew with those things until they went dry. I hope the markers I give make a memory like that.
One of the most awesome toys I ever owned was a Tonka truck. It was a huge, heavy, blue beast that I would abuse and slam into the ground. That toy kept coming back for more. I played with that truck until I lost it, in the years.
One of the most creative gifts I ever had were water color paints. I could create completely new colors just from mixing of the eight. It seemed to me there were infinite colors to be explored and discovered. I used those paints until they all got used up.
One of the most precious gifts I ever received was from my aunt who gave me a stuffed animal. It was wrapped in aluminum foil and a red ribbon, and my sister helped me unwrap it. It was a stuffed animal dog with big eyes and a little tongue and four stout legs. One of the eyes fell off and tried to glue it back on, but it didn't stay. The knit-on tongue fell off long, long ago. I wondered how he panted when he got hot? I never gave him away. I never threw him away. I never got tired of him. I never lost him into the ether of the past and past memories. He is right here still in my life. He still protects me when I am scared. He soothes me when I am sad. He cuddles me when I need a friend. He doesn't judge. I hope my gift of the stuffed animals makes memories like that.
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