Quote and Service Diet

"You must be the change you wish to see in the world."
-Mahatma Gandhi

I tried to donate blood yesterday and the Red Cross sent me away. Can you believe they wouldn't let me donate blood?! There are people dying in scores in the Gulf and all over the country, there's an incredible blood shortage, and they don't want to take my blood because I lived in another country within the past 3 years. I didn't even live in a high-risk country. I lived in Argentina, for crying out loud! That's a country that has much less infectious disease than here. I could understand if I was a prostitute and a heroine addict, but I'm just an adventuresome lawyer with a penchant for international travel. Is that so wrong?

Oh well, I'm searching for different ways to be of service. I've put myself on a service diet. Every day for seven days I have to do something of service. I'm not limiting myself to this one week though. This service diet has longer range implications. Yesterday, I signed up to be a coach for a program that teaches inner city youth how to resolve disputes using mediation instead of violence. This is a program that will take place in November. Anyway, I'm not doing this service diet because I'm a good samaritan, I'm doing this because it makes me feel really good. Volunteering is one of the most inherently selfish things I do.