Regret, MEGEN, Valour-IT, and the Navy

Beyond busy this week and weekend, so don't count on seeing anything new here. Maybe I'll have time/faculties to post... maybe not. In the meantime:

First, I though I might regret this post, and I do. First and foremost because, as a friend reminded me, a not-insignificant portion of what I wrote was lacking in compassion. People may not make the choices I do, but they could very well be coming from a background/experience that makes the situations I described better than the alternative, in their minds. I used to know that, but have apparently forgotten (not excusing the scenarios I outlined, but looking at them now through compassionate eyes that understand a bit why those choices may seem good to those people).

Secondly, MEGEN is on the West Coast! I hope to take her for visits at sites touching on Naval topics such as local medical facilities, SEALs, historical sites, aviation-related vistas, and even some local naval bigwigs. I'll be armed with a stack of Valour-IT business cards to spread the word to passersby. And I'll be foraging for vestiges of the Naval history of a no-longer-navy base. Stay tuned!

Third, and relatedly, start thinking about the Valour-IT Veterans Day fundraiser [2006 link]. We've been the recipient of some grants in the last year, but not enough to create an endowment. And the need continues, so let's all do our part. We plan to have another auction as part of the fundraising, so if you know where you can get military-related items that might make good donor gifts or auction items, now might be the time to get started. For example, I know one person who is lining up a couple authors for signed books, and I have an antique book myself to auction off. Now might also be a good time to cultivate media contacts who could be interested in doing a profile of Valour-IT. Watch this space for more info!

As to why I'm busy, here's one of two reasons why I'll be insanely busy on Sunday:

And then there are the demands of MEGEN....

Did I mention I was gonna be busy? ;)