What would it take.

So what will it take to get YOU to go out on a cool or cold evening and ring a bell for five minutes?What promises or assurances would motivate you out of your comfort zone and into the evening to draw attention and perhaps the odd stare or two? Because I have none to offer of course. I have only this, I can assure that if we do not make our voice heard, if we do not speak out, if we place our futures into the hands of others like sheep we will NEVER see results.

This week the great Nelson Mandela died. And the world mourns his passing, not for who he was but for what he accomplished. He spoke out. He took his stand and spent a third of his life in prison for it. But even in prison he spoke out. He rallied a large number of people against something that was fundamentally wrong and eventually he affected sweeping changes for the better. I am certainly no Nelson Mandela and I don't want you to think that I'm trying to be. The point I'm trying to make is that he was merely the catalyst. It was his followers that affected the changes by their numbers. They needed him to lead but if he did not have a following would apartheid have ended? I don't wish to lead I just want to get something started. Mandela is proof that a large enough number of people can accomplish amazing things over time. There are numerous examples from our own time, he's just one.

The point is this. If your looking for assurances that something vast and good can happen from doing something small, remember that you won't be alone. The loudest voice is the one that gets heard. Right now we are letting others speak for us. Others that have a separate agenda we may or may not understand. My agenda is simple. I want peace.  My voice, like yours is small. But our voices together grow larger with each individual. A million of us have a voice that might be heard. Ten million would be heard. A hundred million would garner attention. A billion could not be ignored, would not be ignored. But it all starts with one. For now I'm one. On November 1st I'll be outside with my bell. My voice may not make any waves at all but I know with all my being that OUR voices could be heard.

Five minutes out of one day in an entire year, I hope you'll join me.