It's not my birthday either, Seth

There was a time when I awaited my birthday with great anticipation. It was an event to look forward to with friends, always swimming, usually some family around... I still remember, too, a great set of Magic Markers I got one year when I was about seven. Birthdays were not only a time for friends, food, and fun, they were conduits for exposure to new and exciting things: new books to read, paints and markers to play with, pieces of a larger world.

The event has lost its allure. Every year passed reminds me of what has been, what might have been, and the disparity between youthful hope and adult reality. The best advice I can offer the younger set is to get a handle on that lizard (in reference to the "lizard brain" coined by Seth Godin that refers to the amygdala... Well, go visit his blog and definitely pick up his absolutely great book Linchpin if you want to learn more).

Thanks to Seth and other great teachers of the day, the lizard is becoming more of a pet along the lines of the villain's dog from Despicable Me. I can now appreciate my lizard's "fluffiness" ("he's so FLUFFY!") and borrow from his primal gruffiness (he's so GRUFFY too!).

Anyway, Seth was the original in deciding it wasn't his birthday; I'm just piggybacking on his blog. Seth decided to give his birthday to the folks at charity:water.

I'm not going to do that. 
Instead, I've decided to give my birthday to Seth.

Huh? Why on earth would I do that? Because Seth has given me, both for free (here's a link to his latest free ebook download) and for the low prices I've paid for every book and ebook of his I could get my hands on, gifts that I cannot repay him other than by using them, and gifts I would not have obtained without his influence. Education. Entertainment. Hope. Freedom. A fluffier, more evolved lizard.

So, since I see that there is less than $15,000 to go on Seth's goal to raise $50,000 for clean water in developing nations, I am hopeful that you will help me give my birthday to Seth by learning about, spreading the message, and contributing to the cause if you agree with its benefits.

You see, it benefits those of us with clean water, too, by reducing exposure to illness, contributing to improvement in global food supply, gender equality, education, economics, the list is long. How is this possible? It starts with resources (ie funding) that results in the building of a good well with good water for a village. That's all it takes sometimes to tip the balance from illness and destitution to a thriving population. There's a great illustration of the chain reaction generated from good water at this link. 

Oh, and for you finance/data geeks like me:

• The ROI is 12:1 
• =(both clean water access and sanitation are factored in to derive an average economic improvement of $12 for every $1
• $20 can provide a single individual with clean water for $20 years
  (source: http://www.charitywater.org/whywater/)

Are you thirsty right now? Gee, I just realized I am! And fortunate for me, when I want water, I just go to the tap and pour it, and it looks a lot like the photo here on the right.

Next time you're thirsty, just indulge your imagination with a little role playing. Think of the seven people closest to you. Do you have children? elderly parents? One in EIGHT people do not have access to clean drinking water. So let's imagine for just a moment that you're that one in eight. And you're thirsty. And you're eventually going to drink the cleanest water you can reach, right?

Well... you know how they say you shouldn't drink the water when you visit some countries? Have you heard about the effects of doing so? Here's the deal:

Let's imagine, since you are that one in eight, that you drink the water. Chances are high that you're being exposed to a killer upon first sip: e coli. Salmonella. Hepatitis. Cholera. Sound pretty nasty? Would you want your frail mother drinking the stuff? Your toddler? No way! Your alternative is to walk miles upon miles in the heat to carry water.

Imagine what a difference a well could make.


So this time, you can choose whether you want a better world without spending any money by simply spreading the word. Or you could spend just a wee little bit and realize a net return that may be hard to see but is certainly there.


Either way, thanks for reading, taking a peek at the clean water site, and... Happy Birthday anyway, Seth!