Oprah Winfrey and Charity

My walk is going well so far, and I walked into Narooma this morning. My internet time is veyr limited (as usual) and I have so much to write and so little time. I have walked about 240km (155 miles) so far, and am well and truly past the halfway mark of this first leg of the journey.

My body and mind are holding up well, even if I have only had the comfort of a bed two out of the past nine nights. Sleeping can be quite difficult due to aching and sore muscles, combined often with sleeping on a hard surface. I toss and turn until I fall asleep due to exhaustion, as lying on one part of me for too long starts to hurt too much. Still, I awake feeling refreshed and ready to walk onwards each morning.

The intention of this site was not only to document my own journey, but also to share tales of Truth, Love and Courage from those I meet along the way. It has become rather apparent that I am failing in that endeavour, and that most of my writing is related to my own tale. There are a number of reasons for that, most of which revolve around time: limited internet access time and limited funds, exhaustion, the urge to press onwards each day, and even limited time spent with others along the way have all been factors in why this tale has revolved mainly around my journey.

Onto the subject at hand; I wanted to talk a little more briefly about charity, for it is a subject that is commonly brought up when I mention to people that I am undertaking this walk. The usual question is 'Which charity are you walking for?', and my response is ''None, although I am happy to have my walk associated with a worthy charity'.

Which brings me to the topic of funding, donations and sponsorship; three different words which can be used synonymously, but for me have very different meanings. I am seeking sponsorship for my journey in the US, or funding, not donations. How do I differentiate between the three? Funding is money that comes from friends or family or some other person with a generous heart and wishes to help me live my dream. I do not call this a donation, since I consider donations to be money given to a charity, and I am not a charity, just a person with a need to live a dream. Sponsorship is an exchange of funds for an endorsement of a product or service.

For example, someone may ask me 'Blake, tell me which shoes did you wear on your journey?''and I would respond 'Why this pair right here, they were the best suited for my lengthy journey, both sturdy and comfortable, and [insert unnamed brand here] was kind enough to help me with a little money to undertake my journey'. ''Blake, which airline flew you to the US, and helped you to live your dream and unite two lovers seperated by an insurmountable distance?' My response: 'Why that would be [insert unnamed brand here] airline, they were kind enough to understand that love knows no boundaries, and were happy to bring my Special Someone and I together'.

Hopefully you get the picture. Onto the subect of Oprah Winfrey. Unbeknownest to myself at the time, I emailed Oprah Winfrey about my journey, as did my Special Someone. We often do things like that: say the same thing or think the same thing or do the same thing. I mentioned this to Special Someone's cousin, who also told me that she had emailed Oprah, and also mentioned Oprah's Angel Network, which is her charity.

So now when I am asked if I am doing it for a charity, my answer is still the same 'No not yet, but I am happy to have one associated with my journey' but I shall add this to it 'But if you wish to donate to a charity, I would recommend Oprah's Angel Network'. Why? Because it is the only charity that I have heard of that gives 100% of its funds to the intended recipients, due to Oprah paying the administrative costs of the charity. Oprah and I have no connection, other than I have emailed her twice, and she has not endorsed my walk in any way. However if you wish to give money to a worthy charity, the Angel Network is the best that I have found thus far. You can read more about it here: http://www.oprah.com/uyl/uyl_landing.jhtml

I particularly like the quote at the top of the page:

"I want you to open your hearts and see the world in a different way. You get from the world what you give to the world. I promise this will change your life for the better."
— Oprah

This is exactly the experience that is occuring in my life, due to mainly I would say to my change in attitude.

If you do not like that charity, then pretend that I am walking for one that you do like, and donate to that one. I do not need to walk in order for you to donate, but I will spread the word about the Angel Network because I am very impressed by a charity that gives 100% of its funds to the intended recipients, and there are a wide range of recipients too.

Why am I undertaking this journey? I am undertaking this journey partly to spread goodwill, partly to inspire people to live their dreams, partly to experience life and be inspired by the tales of others, and of course, partly to meet the girl that I am in love with, so that I may show her my love from closer proximity.