The one thing that makes me feel good about all this, is that I've looked, and quite a few breweries in the area have far fewer tweets, blog posts, facebook fans and posts. I'll leave it at that....for now.
Now on to Xmas.
And spirit of the giving season.
With the Holiday season approaching, I've definitely been thinking about the position, that I luckily find myself. Yes, its taking a considerably longer time to get this brewery open, but the truth is that I have everything lined up. A great friend that is pretty much acting as my finance/investment manager, folks lined up and willing and begging to work for us when we open, equipment manufacturers that are willing to work on pricing, as well as that amazing space that is STILL open and just waiting for me to snatch it up.
Now with all this, I keep on being, on a daily basis, reminded of the hardships of people around me. Poverty and downright bad luck are all around. After all, we are still chest deep in the midst of one of the worst economic downturns of all time. Here in California unemployment is still hovering around 12%.
So with that in mind, I'd like to challenge everyone out there, be you a brewery, or drinker, or just another person that is in a position to help.... to do just that. Help your fellow man.
With family and kids, I see how excited my own little brood is when the thought or idea of Christmas comes up. Kids, and I am mainly thinking of all the kids out there that wont get what my kids will most likely always think of as the norm. We all see the pan handlers with signs asking for handouts. Now I don't think that the bulk of those folks are actually going to improve their lives with those handouts, but there are some.
What I'm thinking of, is the simple act of giving the little things. If you have a day job, or are lucky enough to work in the industry, most of us will see, and most days ignore, the large bins asking for donations of food and clothes, and basic gifts for those less privileged than us.
The cost to most of us, for some of those basics of every Holiday season dinner are so small and inconsequent that we forget what an impact the basic concept of family dinners can have on someone that plainly wont experience it. Again, I'm thinking of children.
So, the next time that you're walking by that bin, or better yet at the store shopping for those things that you take for granted, buy a little something extra, drop it in that bin. Feel good that your small contribution, as small as it may be, just may make someones day a little brighter in the near future.
Toys for tots, adopt an angel, whichever program you may have soliciting your good nature at your place of work of anywhere for that matter, helps out far more than that dinner. The awe in a child's eyes, when they see that present under the tree, or wherever "Santa" dropped it for them, is something that we all should work to elicit in every person, not just children. Wonder makes us the people that we are, and we all take it for granted; mostly having forgotten the feeling in our adult lives.
I've done it at work for the last few years, and I hope you all will too, and I always have my own children pick out a few basic toys when shopping, and explain to them that those toys are going to kids who usually don't get a thing all year. It teaches humility and humanity at the same time.
We all may not agree on our flavor of belief, or the nature of helping, but lets think about that basic needs that some people are not able to provide. If for some reason I wasn't able to give my kids the basics around the holiday season, I know that it would crush me, on many levels. We don't need to go into details of why someone may or may not have been responsible for their family being in that kind of a position, but lets just exercise our Holiday spirit this year, as much as we can.
Call it being blessed, lucky, smart or wiley, but we are all people together, and sometimes, it does make a difference to reach out and touch someones life that you will never meet.
Happy Holiday Seasons, and lets try to help make this a better world, for just a small period of time.
Lucas E Szymanowski
Brewer
Father
Husband
Holiday Season Softie
So, the next time that you're walking by that bin, or better yet at the store shopping for those things that you take for granted, buy a little something extra, drop it in that bin. Feel good that your small contribution, as small as it may be, just may make someones day a little brighter in the near future.
Toys for tots, adopt an angel, whichever program you may have soliciting your good nature at your place of work of anywhere for that matter, helps out far more than that dinner. The awe in a child's eyes, when they see that present under the tree, or wherever "Santa" dropped it for them, is something that we all should work to elicit in every person, not just children. Wonder makes us the people that we are, and we all take it for granted; mostly having forgotten the feeling in our adult lives.
I've done it at work for the last few years, and I hope you all will too, and I always have my own children pick out a few basic toys when shopping, and explain to them that those toys are going to kids who usually don't get a thing all year. It teaches humility and humanity at the same time.
We all may not agree on our flavor of belief, or the nature of helping, but lets think about that basic needs that some people are not able to provide. If for some reason I wasn't able to give my kids the basics around the holiday season, I know that it would crush me, on many levels. We don't need to go into details of why someone may or may not have been responsible for their family being in that kind of a position, but lets just exercise our Holiday spirit this year, as much as we can.
Call it being blessed, lucky, smart or wiley, but we are all people together, and sometimes, it does make a difference to reach out and touch someones life that you will never meet.
Happy Holiday Seasons, and lets try to help make this a better world, for just a small period of time.
Lucas E Szymanowski
Brewer
Father
Husband
Holiday Season Softie
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