What are you afraid of?

I had a fabulous walk this afternoon. Found new streets and sights I didn't know existed. I was well-dressed against the cold. I actually enjoy walking in the cold more than the heat – easier to layer up for cold than dress down for hot (there's only so much clothing you can take off in public!).
And on my walk I came across a cemetery I hadn't noticed before. The Goel Tzedec cemetery – which I later found out is the second oldest Jewish cemetery in the city.
Passing a cemetery on all hallow's eve, Samhain, Halloween, got me thinking about fear. About what scares us. How we tempt fear to come for us – by doing things like walking in a cemetery on Halloween. Or doing things that we know will cause us to be afraid.
And as I walked I thought about all the areas of my life. The ones that felt comfortable and the ones that had that rush of fear attached to them. Acknowledging the recent shift in some areas from safe to fear. Finding areas that were too safe and needed that jolt of adrenaline that fear produces. Also finding areas that were just too scary right now and needed some safety.
As I walked I made plans on how to shift things around.
And I was surprised to realise that I am welcoming the fear. Now, don't get me wrong… I'm scared, absolutely! But I know that with fear comes growth and change. I also know that being afraid means being brave.
And that all it takes is one step from safety and then that rush of adrenaline hits you and you're no longer afraid cause you're doing it.
So… what are you afraid of?

Bubba and the Amazing Twitter - #Cakes4Bubba

I love Twitter. If you know me, you know thats not a surprising statement.
I've met all kinds of wonderful people on Twitter. Seen amazing things happen. Won a bunch of cool stuff. And also had the honour of being able to participate in some spectacular fundraising for very worthy causes.
Without the magic of Twitter and the wizards behind the magic (yeah... I'm talking about you!) there's so much that would go unnoticed, unattended and unloved.
And what I love most about Twitter and love itself, is the more you nurture and feed it, the bigger it gets; and the bigger it gets the better it gets. Magic.. pure sweet magic... that sends my little heart soaring.

So let me tell you a magic twitter story:

My dear friend Mari (@marimoreshead) likes to read the craigslist pet section. And I've never asked her why, but I think so we could get to this point today is why.
Mari came across an ad about Bubba. Bubba is a 4year old bulldog who needs cruciate ligament surgery. Bubba's owner is a university student putting herself through school. Trying to make it on her own. Bubba is her family. The surgery costs $4,000.
So Bubba's owner put an ad in craigslist asking for help. She wrote that she knew it sounded like a scam, but she was willing to provide the name of the vet so people could follow up if they weren't sure.
And all she wanted was for Bubba to have his surgery and not have to be put down.
So Mari sends me the ad about Bubba and asks "what do you think?". And follows up with an email to Bubba's owner. Mari confirms everything with the vet. Finds out that $1,300 has been raised so far. Bubba is seeing the vet on the 25th of October and then a surgery date will be set.
Bubba's owner is doing whatever she can. She's been fundraising, asking friends, family, strangers for help.
And so Mari and I thought... if Bubba's owner is willing to put it out there to ask for help, why not use that awesome Twitter magic to help Bubba?
As simple as it seems, I think Mari found this ad and showed it to me so that we could help Bubba. Thats the feeling I get.
And the only way I know how to do this is to ask all those awesome people I know to help us reach the goal of $4,000 to pay for Bubba's surgery.
So Mari has collected some delicious cakes from some equally delicious bakers and we're offering them up for raffle! Make a donation and you'll have a chance to win a cake!
And if you can't give anything, then if you can help spread the word and send some good thoughts Bubba's way, that would be equally incredible.
Visit our website to make a donation. And we've got a facebook page to keep you updated on Bubba and his progress. You can find that here.
Just so you know, we've kept the name of the vet and Bubba's owner confidential, for privacy and safety, so if you have any questions, feel free to contact me.