Wall Clock October 2014 - "Ikea Tempered Glass Clock"

(*Image from venturebeat.com)

One of my main goals every month is for some level of philanthropy, either through volunteer work or monetary or physical donations to various charities of my choosing. I enjoy the monthly ritual and the education from researching new non-profits and I get a kick outta finding some interesting gems (An amazing animal clinic in Gambia for instance works miracles in a very trying environment). And even though I donated to a few interesting places in September - at the end of the month - I still felt lacking.

Adding to the trash heap?

Mainly, I wasn't happy donating last month's clock. From my research and a few personal conversations with workers, donating garbage is something that happens far too often at donation centers across cities. So I was very concerned, even though the man at the donation center gladly accepted my donation, that I was adding to that frustration and heap with my donation. I felt I was donating garbage.

So for this month, I really wanted to find a clock that was in good working order that could be easily donated without any concern for its condition and future use. I found what I was looking for in the local ad headline: "hardly used Ikea Tempered Glass Clock". The clock had a nice elegant look to it. Simple square shape with hash-marks instead of numbers. I liked the simplistic design and the frosted glass. The hands of the clock are flimsy, cheap metal or aluminium and the second hand is bent in a few places but the the clock works well and is generally in fantastic shape. It seems like this clock could be used by someone for years to come.

Luckily the clock was nearby and within a half-an-hour walk I arrived at Ivy's apartment, paid the $5 she was asking for, and left.

Hmmm. $5? That's it? I still felt lacking.

On the way home, I skipped the calm residential streets and decided to walk among the people on the main streets. And almost instantly I ran into a small group of people sitting on and around a cement wall chattin' it up. All were pushing 40's, some drunk, some involved in a tense conversation, and one lady just chilling off to the side.

One of the drunk men pointed at me and said in a very loud slurred voice, "My man! Do you think...if you are fearful...then you are really just running from yourself!?" He then looked up at his friend and smiled.

Whoa. Nice. This is a deep conversation. I liked that. In general, I've always felt more comfortable with deep conversations than with small talk. Especially with strangers. In fact, throughout my life I've enjoyed the many interesting conversations I've had with random strangers. For instance, one day in my early 20's, on the walk to work, I ran into a group of people asking for money. When I teasingly asked "why"? One of the larger men shouted, "For the 'Negro Chicken Fund'.. Man!"  That made my day. Not really a deep conversation per say, but honest, and funny.

Another day I ran into a man holding a potato sack and slurring.

"Wantsomepotaditis?" he screamed at me.

"What?" I asked.

(clearer, less slurring) "What some potadit is?"

"No, I don't want any potatoes." (a long pause)

"Naw Man, What day is it!"

"Oh. Wednesday!"

Hilarious. I loved it. When I was younger, I sought out people on the streets of downtown, Hollywood, and the UCLA area. I learned a lot from these people. About life, struggles, mental illness, hurt, sorrow, the military, happiness, marriage, kids, death, and so on. Almost every time I stopped to have a conversation, I learned something new. And when it wasn't something new, it was always interesting and unique or, as I've mentioned, humorous.

I looked around at the others in the group and said, "You know I don't know. But it does sound like you might have something there." He clapped his hands once and pointed at his friend.

"Ha!" he said. His friend just shook his head.

The woman, now focused on me, asked "Hey man, why do you have a clock in your hands!" Her face lit up like she's never seen such a thing before.

I actually forgot I was carrying the clock.

"Well, I like clocks," I replied. "They are interesting. And I like to write about them." They looked uninterested with my boring dumb answer so I added, "Plus, I like to know what time it is!"

"That's right, this man knows what time it is!" one of the men laughed. "He's got a clock!"

We chatted for a bit. And I learned one of them was a veteran, the man drinking the beer. He showed me his military ID and told me a few stories about the VA hospital nearby. I could tell that he had been through some terrible things. I handed him some of the money I set aside for the clock purchase. And finished up my conservation with him. I learned the woman was a nurse at the local hospital but was laid off recently. The older man told me the money I gave them would help out his whole group but he appreciated more that I stopped to talk with them a bit.

That made me realize on the way home that I was minimizing my contributions. I was initially concerned that every month I'm not spending enough money on the clocks. But what this group reminded me of is that philanthropy and giving isn't always monetary. My innate desires to seek out and respect others, in conversation, or in passing, shouldn't be overlooked.