Thursday, March 26, 2009

Loretta Hagen

http://www.strausnews.com/west_milford_messenger/

Above is a link to the West Milford Messenger, hometown of Loretta Hagen. Her song "Sundown till Dawn" will be featured in our documentary "10 mountains 10 years". Check it out. She has a beautiful, powerful voice.

Eileen

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Summing it Up

What is it to advocate? It is a lot of dedication, time, belief in yourself, and an effort on your part to get the word out. Is it like a job? In some respect it is but without pay. However, we do reap benefits. The lives we touch, the respect we earn, the feeling we have inside when we know we are making a difference. It humbles you when you are in this position. You begin to look at a lot of things differently. For one, the future of my children, my grandsons, my nephews and nieces, weigh the heaviest as my reasons to be a part of what I am doing. But I advocate for everyone that I have had the pleasure of being in contact with because they are the ones that need the answers now, the cures now. Sometimes when we are asked to step out of our comfort zone we either become frightened or we make excuses. Our excuses may be valid and then again they may not be. But if there is just one thing I find to be important amongst the over all scheme of things is to help others and to get others to help.

I have come across skepticism, ridicule, harshness, cruelty, non-acceptance of what I am doing. I have cried over this, become stagnant over this, stopped my training over this, all because I have doubted myself. I have never doubted why. I have had to bite my tongue to allow for an outer shell to grow so I can block it all out and remain on task. Why am I telling you this? Because support from others is second to what I do. A kind word, a recognition of what I am doing, and even a hand in helping me. But I know not everyone wants to become involved. But I believe the important thing is to accept the person trying. To support there efforts to make a difference in the lives of others. The old saying goes “If you have nothing nice to say then don’t say anything at all”. Do I want others to turn a blind eye? No. I want others to educate themselves, to look inside of themselves and see that if more of us would step up to the plate then more money would be raised, more awareness would be drawn to these diseases. Our motto: “Together is One” holds truth with everyone’s project, everyone’s foundation, everyone’s advocacy work.

Altruism: a concern or regard for the needs of others, entirely without ulterior motive.
We are a group of altruistic individuals committed to a plan to help rid Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Disease from existence. We train, we fundraise, we climb. But mostly, we believe in the power of people and that with combined efforts from everyone we can make this a reality. If you haven’t already stopped by our website please do so at this time. Get to know what our captain, Enzo Simone, has dedicated his life to. What he believes when he says “Regular” people can make the difference. Click on the links. Get to know the team, read there stories, become part of our fundraising efforts, or just donate. We do this for all of you.

http://www.theRegulars.org

Also on Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=71441937789&ref=mf

World Up!
Strong Feather Eileen