Hey everyone, just a few thoughts here on donations. Recently, I have seen a few comments, recieved a few PMs and had a couple of conversations with people about donations, and I would like to share my thoughts with you as a member of the board.
I have learned a couple of good things in my life, such as why you shouldn't turn a brake caliper over after disconnecting it, that it is impossible for a man to look cool eating ice cream on a cone and that you should never invest what you can't afford to lose.
Alright - if I think back, there have probably been four or five calls to action for donations since I have been a member (that I didn't donate to) and like others here, I have been burned - (I was one of the first Hayabusa Race Sponsors). See here is the thing that donations boil down to: THEY ARE A GIFT. When we send funds/parts/anything to a brother or sister who is in need - we are entitled to one thing and one thing only - which is the feeling of satisfaction for helping someone when they needed it.
We help each other here. I surf the net quite a bit and I am a member of several organizations - this place is different; it is a community and in some ways, a co-op.
When we send support, we relinquish any claim to what we sent, simply put, it is no longer ours. So if it comes to the boards' attention that someone could use assistance (maybe not even needs, per se), and we volunteer that support - we do not retain the right to question how that support is used - we do not retain the right to remind people of the support that we have given them - we do not have the right to hold anything over there heads. The more often someone reminds me how much they have supported me, the less likely it is that they would ever find out if I needed support again.
The way this collective works is on a sort of pay it forward principle; we have seen it time and time again - some here are wealthy, some are gifted mechanics, some are just normal folk who are fortunate enough not to need help after a crash or whatever. But everyone here should rest comfortably in the knowledge that everyone will be helped in some way by the other members of the board.
Now, if I ask for help because I need money for ballet lessons, which my wife won't give me because she thinks I am better suited for a life in porn - then you all find out that I used the money to pay for tuba lessons instead and you disapprove - well, call me or PM me and we'll talk, but understand that you might feel a little ridiculous when I explain to you what has actually happened - especially if took ballet until I broke my ankle and went on to buy a tuba rather than buy drugs or whatever... and how I sent most of the money that I recieved back to others or to the board, but never publicized it.
There are people on this board who I know have donated but never asked to get thier "balz" - and because of that, have recieved the snide - you have been here so long, but you got no Balz - what is your problem?!?
If you can help, great! If you can't, that's okay too - thoughts and prayers hold out long after the money is gone.
But from me to you, if you aren't going to be able to give without throwing it back out later - then please, do us all a favor and simply keep your money - thoughts and prayers are just as valuable, but don't require postage.
For me personally to donate, all I need is to believe that the person needs something that I have more than I do - I try to use that as my universal criteria. If I find out that a person is unworthy of my support, then I will be withdrawn, but what is gone, is already gone. I do as a habit try to find out if my suspicions are correct - because to accuse people of things is one thing, but to erroneously accuse them is quite something else.
Anyway, my rant is off - sorry for the bandwidth blockage - but I consider donations a family issue here and in the public forums, I believe they are hitting below the belt.
As always, I am just another guy here at home away from home, waiting for better weather to ride - let's not intetionally make this place uncomfortable with each other - it works so much better when we treat all the members the same - with respect.
Thanks,
MCM
I have learned a couple of good things in my life, such as why you shouldn't turn a brake caliper over after disconnecting it, that it is impossible for a man to look cool eating ice cream on a cone and that you should never invest what you can't afford to lose.
Alright - if I think back, there have probably been four or five calls to action for donations since I have been a member (that I didn't donate to) and like others here, I have been burned - (I was one of the first Hayabusa Race Sponsors). See here is the thing that donations boil down to: THEY ARE A GIFT. When we send funds/parts/anything to a brother or sister who is in need - we are entitled to one thing and one thing only - which is the feeling of satisfaction for helping someone when they needed it.
We help each other here. I surf the net quite a bit and I am a member of several organizations - this place is different; it is a community and in some ways, a co-op.
When we send support, we relinquish any claim to what we sent, simply put, it is no longer ours. So if it comes to the boards' attention that someone could use assistance (maybe not even needs, per se), and we volunteer that support - we do not retain the right to question how that support is used - we do not retain the right to remind people of the support that we have given them - we do not have the right to hold anything over there heads. The more often someone reminds me how much they have supported me, the less likely it is that they would ever find out if I needed support again.
The way this collective works is on a sort of pay it forward principle; we have seen it time and time again - some here are wealthy, some are gifted mechanics, some are just normal folk who are fortunate enough not to need help after a crash or whatever. But everyone here should rest comfortably in the knowledge that everyone will be helped in some way by the other members of the board.
Now, if I ask for help because I need money for ballet lessons, which my wife won't give me because she thinks I am better suited for a life in porn - then you all find out that I used the money to pay for tuba lessons instead and you disapprove - well, call me or PM me and we'll talk, but understand that you might feel a little ridiculous when I explain to you what has actually happened - especially if took ballet until I broke my ankle and went on to buy a tuba rather than buy drugs or whatever... and how I sent most of the money that I recieved back to others or to the board, but never publicized it.
There are people on this board who I know have donated but never asked to get thier "balz" - and because of that, have recieved the snide - you have been here so long, but you got no Balz - what is your problem?!?
If you can help, great! If you can't, that's okay too - thoughts and prayers hold out long after the money is gone.
But from me to you, if you aren't going to be able to give without throwing it back out later - then please, do us all a favor and simply keep your money - thoughts and prayers are just as valuable, but don't require postage.
For me personally to donate, all I need is to believe that the person needs something that I have more than I do - I try to use that as my universal criteria. If I find out that a person is unworthy of my support, then I will be withdrawn, but what is gone, is already gone. I do as a habit try to find out if my suspicions are correct - because to accuse people of things is one thing, but to erroneously accuse them is quite something else.
Anyway, my rant is off - sorry for the bandwidth blockage - but I consider donations a family issue here and in the public forums, I believe they are hitting below the belt.
As always, I am just another guy here at home away from home, waiting for better weather to ride - let's not intetionally make this place uncomfortable with each other - it works so much better when we treat all the members the same - with respect.
Thanks,
MCM
