Fictional Saints and Factual Kindness (now with postscript)

When I think back on the last 15 years of my own life, I have many memories of seeing children suffer. Many of them come from my time spent in the Dominican Republic and the decade I spent working with special-needs kids in schools. I am not sure how much impact my presence had in any of the situations I ended up in, but I certainly felt that as long as there were needs, someone had to try to meet them.

I'm no saint. Not by a long shot. My motivations are faulty and my gifts are poor. However, I think I have always had a special gift for really feeling for others when they hurt, which makes their suffering rather hard to ignore. I can't help but be moved when I see suffering -- especially among the most vulnerable members of our human family -- and I have been fortunate enough to have been permitted to work with some of them, and, I hope, to make some difference in their lives. In the end, I think every little bit helps.

So, when I found out that some of the Hurricanes were to shave their heads today to raise money for a charity that helps raise millions of dollars annually to help combat childhood cancer (St. Baldrick's) , the opportunity to go watch the event unfold was quite appealing. The fan-girl in me would get to see a couple of players I enjoy watching on the ice shed their locks, and the tender-heart in me would I hope have a chance to make some small difference in the life of a child by making a small donation in honor of my 'Canes.

It was a lovely event on many levels. Not only were the participants nice people, but the atmosphere was joyous, because in our midst were a couple of very young cancer survivors who brought their own special zest for living to the crowded pub. I hadn't really decided which of the three fellows I would sponsor when I arrived; defensemen Niclas Wallin and Dennis Seidenberg were there in company with retired NHLer and "color" commentator for Canes TV broadcasts, Tripp Tracy.

They were all pretty cool guys, and rather obliging considering how annoying I can be armed with a camera and marks-a-lot markers, but Niclas Wallin won me over in the end. I think it happened when he beamed down on one of the many children running around and said "hey cutie" with the tenderness you see in a guy who has kids of his own. That or when he didn't laugh at my ridiculous Swedish pronunciation when I attempted to greet him in Swedish... in fact, he just answered in Swedish, which implied he knew what I had said (Tack så mycket, Nic!). Or perhaps it is that I know he supports a similar organization in Sweden, so I got the impression this wasn't just a PR stunt for him. Or maybe the fact that he goes by "Nicky", a charming name, don't you think? Or perhaps that he abandoned his hard-earned sandwich to sign my jersey. In any event, his is the head I paid to see bald.

It's nice to know that there are people who are willing to sacrifice a bit of time, head warmth and vanity to bring a bit of hope to others. All in all, it was a nice ending to a really encouraging week. I've felt I have had to receive a lot these days because of my own weakness. It was nice to be in a position to give back again in some small way... and to have a little more fun in the process.

Postscript: I have now appeared on Fox Sports Network South in this video. (I'm briefly in the frame at about 1:20 in the "crowd shot" on the right of the screen behind Niclas Wallin. haha.)Dennis Seidenberg and Tripp Tracy

Dennis again with yours truly (photo taken by Tripp - Not like
you will ever see this, but if you happen to Google yourself and end up here... Thanks!)

Yours truly with Tripp Tracy. This was very blurry and only looks okay tiny. *sigh*
I contrast this with the picture I had taken with Niclas Wallin, which doesn't look good by any standard at any size.
Oh well... the hazards of handing my camera to other people!

Niclas Wallin getting ready for his shave

Niclas before

Niclas After