Most people I know are committed to something ‘extra’...a benefit, a charity, a cause of some kind. I’ve always wondered what makes someone get involved, and I think I found the funniest answer yesterday. My daughter Cara and I were at the American Heart Association Annual Luncheon at the Westin Galleria, because we were lucky enough to get invited, and even more importantly, because the keynote speaker was Jack Valenti (a very influential man in politics and the motion picture industry, and since Cara wants to go into film, she was dying to meet him). Anyway, there were about 300 people there, all wearing the color red (get it? Heart Association?), all sharing their stories of working towards a common goal and how fulfilling it was. Several talked about how they originally got involved in the organization. One woman I was standing next to was very quiet, and I asked her what made her become a volunteer in the organization. Her answer? “I look great in red.” Yet that one seemingly insignificant silly answer still made her a hero to someone....she works hard to accomplish something for the organization, even if the original reason she got into it was a bit different. My message? It doesn’t matter why you get involved, as long as you do it.
