Do You Want What I Want? – PART 4

If you haven’t read Part 1, Part 2, or Part 3 of this series you’ll be lost here. So if you’ve read the first three then read on. If not, what are you waiting for?

Let me dive in a just a little deeper here to share with you one of my “wants” inside of my “ultimate want”. I can best describe it by telling you a quick “vision story”

In this story of my future vision, my wife Jackie and I are at a charity fundraising dinner for our kid’s school. It’s a beautiful venue at one of the best hotels in San Diego. Many of our fellow parents are gathered and there is good conversation and a lot of laughs. I look around the room and feel really grateful that so many people have made the financial contribution just to be here. I feel the school is in good financial shape and our kids will have what they need to succeed.

At the same time I’m smiling on the inside because I know how much fun I’m going to have in a few minutes!

We arrive at that point in the evening when the Master of Ceremonies, in his unique creative way, will ask for additional donations. This of course is completely voluntary and based on what each family can give, if they choose to give at all. Remember everyone has already contributed financially just by buying the tickets to be here.

I’m smiling because this is where I get “what I REALLY want”…

This is how it plays out…

The MC sets the stage by explaining this is the part of the evening where everyone has a chance to give more. No additional donation is too small and all are appreciated equally. He says that he will start at $10,000. Does anyone want to donate $10,000 to the school.

Two hands go up and the crowd applauds their generosity. I too applaud then raise my hand as well. We have just raised $30,000 for our school in a matter of minutes and I’m feeling great.

The MC proceeds to reduce the ask amount, $7,500, $5,000, $2,500 and at each stage more hands are raised. The final request is for $100 and by this time almost everyone has raised their hand during the process. The applause is thunderous and everyone is feeling great for themselves, the teachers, and their kids.

Then the MC announces the tally. He says that because of the tremendous generosity of all of us we have just raised $75,600 for the school. These funds will help us build a new playground for the kids and to buy new computers for the computer lab, among other things.

After the applause dies down he announces that there’s even better news! Because of the generosity of one of our families this number will double. At that point you could hear a pin drop in the room. No one can believe what they just heard.

Yes, it’s true the MC says, one of our families, who chooses to remain anonymous, told us before the dinner that they would match whatever was raised here tonight.

As the gathered crowd erupts with a standing ovation, I of course stand too, and like everyone else scan the room to at least “look” like I’m trying to figure out who the generous family is.

My greatest hope at this point is that Jackie and I don’t give ourselves away, because we had decided before hand to not even tell the kids what we were going to do that night.

Giving large sums of money to others in unique and playful ways, for the sheer pleasure of giving, is one of the things I REALLY want!

Okay, let’s take a deep breath together (pause breath).

Ah, that felt good.

More to come…