The Big Idea- Your Feedback Needed!
My sister and I are working on “the Big Idea” to be named soon. We need feedback! A taste:
Rachelle’s friend and business partner Cameron e-mailed me a few days ago to get some input on a business project he is working on while studying (and rowing) at Oxford. It involves “green” toys and the market here in America versus the one in Europe. A branch of his idea was launching a doll after the Tom’s shoe model. Essentially, you buy a doll for your child, and a child in a third-world country gets one too. Not only do I think this is a brilliant idea, but it was introduced to me at such a juncture that it really was one of those times in your life when the whole Universe seems to be beating to the rhythm of your own heart; that is to say, humbly, that after dropping piles of stuff into your lap, God seems to take time out of his busy schedule and suddenly arranges them all into an order that kinda makes sense.
:: I’ve been thinking a lot lately about my purpose/role outside of being a wife and mother. I know that these roles are my primary duties in this life, but as I daily discern the homeschooling question, I can’t help but continue to ask myself if this is another vocation I am called to or if it’s just something I want to assign myself when I’m not really called to it.
:: I also think a lot about the purpose of this blog. I have an internal debate daily as my hits grow about whether or not to go back to a private setting, or whether to let it continue to grow organically with the possibility of it becoming something more than just using it as my outlet to keep myself from going crazy doing this stay-at-home motherhood gig (don’t get me wrong, you all know there’s no other job I’d rather have).
:: After reading Benedict’s Encyclical, “Caritas in Veritate” for our book club last fall, Phil and I often talk about the role that capitalism can play in exercising charity, beyond that of tithing. Capitalism is not evil, but I think there are lots of ways that are being missed out on on how to operate within this economic model as a force for good and not just consumption. Tom’s shoes are definitely an example of this, and while I think it is perhaps a little overstated, the “consumer as hero” campaign is groundbreaking. By getting, you give.
:: There are a number of reasons why I think a doll is (almost) as important as a pair of shoes for impoverished children, which I will leave to another post. Let me just say here that toys and dolls are within my realm of knowledge and perhaps I could extend my sphere of influence to children who really need them.
:: Because these children have nothing and are essentially being deprived of a carefree childhood, I don’t want their first doll to be shoddy. I want it to be something that they are proud of and that ignites their imagination and their need for creative play. I want it to be durable. I want it to be reflective of who they are. All of these qualitites tie in nicely with my passion for eco-friendly, non-plastic or non-sweatshop-made toys.
:: In the December issue of Real Simple, this product was listed as a gift idea under $50 for tots to teens. It’s a “Pretend Pen Pal Package.” A pretend pen pal! PRETEND! The absurdity of this product made me cringe. A cool idea, I suppose, getting letters and trinkets from other countries. But the fact that we Americans are so out of touch with the rest of the world, we need to construct relationships with made-up travellers is UNREAL to me (literally and figuratively).
