i wanna' tell y'all a story

I try to give to charities. My own sister has a neurological disorder [which is probably why she's such a hairy bitch but that's an entirely different story] so I know all about worthwhile causes and organizations to donate to.

With being a single mom who doesn't work and with the economy being in the crapper, it's hard for me to give as much as I'd like to these days. But something happened the other night that has really affected my life and I wanted to share it with y'all.

This past Thursday, I entered the school campus to get into the carpool line and noticed a very large RV parked in front of the school's auditorium. It had writing on it but I had no idea what it was about. On Friday, my son asked me if we could attend a movie screening about a young man with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. His school is very big into community service, giving to worthwhile causes, being eco-friendly, etc., so I said "Sure, why not?".

I had no idea that I'd walk out of that auditorium a changed person.

I'll attempt to tell you the story about this young man but I know I won't do it justice so all I ask y'all, is when you're done reading this blog post, to click on any of the links in this post or on the advertisement in my sidebar underneath the 'about me' section and give. For $20, it will be so worth your time and money.

Darius Weems was 15 years old when his friends-turned-filmmakers took him on a 3-week trip from Athens, Georgia to Los Angeles, all so he could try to get on MTV's Pimp My Ride to get his wheelchair pimped out. Their journey also included finding how handicap-accessible America really is. They filmed a movie about Darius's experiences, experiences that many of us will never have. Along the way, long-lasting friendships were forged, friendships that you and I will probably never be fortunate to experience for ourselves during our lifetime. Now at 19, Darius is still traveling with his friends to spread the word about his cause and about Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. Their goal is to sell one million DVDs in one year. Although people with DMD are surviving longer now, it is still the number one killer among young male children and I, for one, would like to see these guys reach their goal before DMD takes Darius's life.

Folks, if my 11-year old son was left speechless by this film and Darius's larger-than-life presence and attitude, that speaks volumes to me.

Please take some time at your leisure to at least look at this site. Thank you!