Exciting Times

There's an old curse that goes, "May you live in interesting times." Of course it doesn't make much sense because the person uttering that curse would presumably live through those same interesting times.

We're living through a very "interesting" time in the outside world, what with a hotly contested and historical presidential election, and with the economy falling apart around us.

But that's not what I meant. I'm talking about exciting times that are worthwhile and even fun. Today we helped out at a flea market for the Brooklyn Humanist Community. I have to admit I had misgivings at first and was afraid we would not have enough people to take care of the table. But it all worked out and we actually took in enough to increase our treasury by 26%. That moves us closer to our goal of incorporating as a nonprofit, so as the button I picked up at Fundraising Day in New York says, "501(c)(3), Baby!"

Tomorrow Bruce and I are doing another calling party for Obama. This is the first time I've ever gotten this involved in a political campaign. The stakes are very high. I don't want to see us living through another four years of the same policies that President Bush followed, which have led us into a costly, tragic and unnecessary war, and into a financial crisis that comes close to the start of the Great Depression in 1929. So for once we are contributing to Obama's campaign and taking an active role in it.

Monday I'm hoping to get the next grant proposal for the War Resisters League out in the mail, and on Tuesday I'm volunteering at The Hetrick-Martin Institute. Tuesday night is Simchas Torah and four of my cousins on Mom's side, the Greek side of the family, are going to the Greek synagogue on the Lower East Side for services. This will be my first time in a Greek synagogue for a service.

So it will be an exciting few days, and I'm looking forward to them!