No bad time to count your blessings

I don’t know what headline my editor will create to announce today’s effort, but the theme of my words today is “Many Blessings.”

• There are times of the year where holidays are celebrated for the sole purpose of taking stock of our blessings and giving thanks. It need not be a religious holiday, although it could be. An Attitude of Gratitude is appropriate in any setting, religious or secular.

I am grateful for another fine Autumnfest celebration. Number 41 is in the books and it was a humdinger! Looking beyond the obvious things which went well, the weather among them, I can’t continue without thanking my small but dedicated crew of staff, family, and friends who all volunteer to sell buttons, SplitThe-Pot tickets, Autumnfest calendars and all the other stuff we had at our TV Truck, coordinated by ‘The Fabulous Denise.’ Most folks don’t realize this, but that volunteer tent is separate from our broadcasting efforts and it’s all about the festival.

Speaking of our broadcasting efforts, we were rewarded for all our hard work with huge audiences and heart-warming sponsor support. I won’t get into numbers here, but ask me some time when you see me about how many people watched the parade at home or work from our four camera High Definition TV and Radio feed. It feels great to know we helped so many people experience the spirit of Autumnfest!

I will also single out one other person, without who I couldn’t have staged the broadcast. My dear friend and fraternity brother Craig Pelletier. Craig had to relocate some years ago to Texas for work reasons. But every year he flies back to Rhode Island to help me out at Autumnfest. A true and trusted friend like Craig is a blessing, indeed.

• On the one hand I was disappointed. On the other I was joyful and beaming with pride. I was disappointed my work at Autumnfest kept me away from The Athena’s Cup event at Rivers Edge Park when they finally surpassed the number of bras previously recognized as the world’s record. But Jen would call me on my mobile phone in the park and give me updates as each milestone was established and I was jumping up and down when I got news that we finally did it.

Wednesday was the day the representative from the Guinness World Record organization was in Woonsocket to certify that we, indeed, did build the largest and longest chain of ladies’ bras hooked together the world has ever seen.

Yes, I know what some are thinking. The first time Jennifer Jolicoeur told me she was going to do this unbelievable feat I remember wondering to myself ‘why?’ Well, in and of itself it is rather difficult to understand how doing something like wrapping ladies underwear together for over a hundred miles across a city soccer field could possibly cause anything positive other than sending the perpetrators to at least therapy if not a direct ticket to the crazy house.

As time went along, I understood. It’s only when you actually see it happening with your own eyes that you begin to understand how such an effort benefits anyone.

No effort which benefits other people is ever truly wasted. Even if this event only inspires onlookers to work toward funding a cure for breast cancer and the research which will someday eradicate it, the effort will be worth it.

I think it is safe to presume that most everyone reading these words has experienced, either for themselves, with a family member, or a friend the feeling of utter helplessness that comes when cancer strikes someone they know and love. It is only natural that you’d want to do something extreme to focus the attention of many people on what is needed to affect a change and make the world better.

What it takes is one person to gather the many needed to do big things. When Patti Mowry was diagnosed with breast cancer more than 10 years ago, she inspired her friend Jen Jolicoeur to take action. Then others were inspired by Jen’s actions. I sincerely believe that the world will be inspired by the actions of all the thousands who have done the completely extraordinary thing of making this demonstration of unity to a common purpose materialize. And it all started with one person. That’s what I think. What do you think? Comments to: dave@onworldwide.com or postal mail to Dave Richards, WOON Radio, 985 Park Avenue, Woonsocket, RI 02895-6332.

Thanks for reading.