Awesome Birthday.... Or THE AWESOMEST Birthday?

So this is not a new thing I'm doing here. Last year, I asked my friends and family (and random people I don't really know but am "friends" with on Facebook, or twitter, or any other social media you can think of) to do something different for my birthday. I asked them to do something good for someone else, in lieu of birthday cards, or going for dinner or drinks, or gifts, or expensive long-distance phone calls.

I'm proud to say that my "peeps" came through with some amazing stories - everything from helping people carry their groceries to paying for someone else's lunch, and a bazillion other little awesome deeds. In fact, I was so proud of how stellar my friends can be that I decided to do it again.

This year, I'll be donating blood for the very first time the weekend before my birthday, here in Calgary. I am lucky enough to have the opportunity to spend my birthday and the week following it in Madrid, "helping my little sister find a place to live while she does her Master's program at the IE."

... in other words, being as touristy as possible, hiding behind my camera, and experiencing as much of the culture as possible in that week. My hope is that there will be opportunities to do little awesome things whilst I'm there, but as I don't speak the language and am brutally shy, I wanted to be sure to get my good thing in beforehand. Hence the blood donation. (Also, I had wanted to donate earlier this year, but my travel last year precluded me from doing it before summer, and my latest tattoo in spring made it so that I couldn't go before September anyways, so the timing worked out nicely...)

If you've ever wanted, or needed, an excuse to do something outrageously awesome for someone else - or an excuse to do something quietly amazing - here's your chance. My birthday is September 18, and I'm looking forward to hearing the stories that my friends, family, and random acquaintances are willing to share with me. If you want, you can join the event on Facebook (http://on.fb.me/oM3aY8).

Here are some ideas if you want to participate but are stuck as to where to start (your local shelters, soup kitchens, and animal rescue groups may have websites as well):

Habitat for Humanity (http://www.habitat.org/)
Jacob's "Adopt a Soldier" Program (http://www.jacobsprogram.org/)
World Concern (http://www.worldconcern.org/)
American Cancer Society (http://www.cancer.org/)
American Diabetes Foundation (http://www.diabetes.org/)
International Red Cross (http://www.icrc.org/)
Mental Health America (http://www.nmha.org/)
Little Warriors (http://www.littlewarriors.ca/)
Salvation Army (http://www.salvationarmy.org/)
Autism Society of America (http://www.autism-society.org/)
ALS Society of Canada (http://www.als.ca/)
Canadian Blood Services (http://www.blood.ca/)


So. Brighten the corner where you are. That's my wish for my 28th birthday.

... Well. That, or Chris Evans. But if you're only able to do one or the other, please do something good for someone else. ;)