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June 27, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Finger Lickin’ Good

Dear Finger Licker,

It would be super ironic if you just had KFC. It would also mean that their branding is bang on even decades after launching it.

Please say you just ate KFC.

     -Dave

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May 27, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Restored Soldier

(Originally written Nov. 6, 2010)

I just came across a letter I wrote back in November 2010 after hearing the stories of and meeting former child soldiers from northern Uganda. It’s ironic now, because I had forgotten so I posted it again. Dear Restored Soldier, After hearing your heart breaking story about life as a child soldier, I can’t help but think of what will happen in a week. Will I forget the impact your story had on me? Will the cash I tossed your way somehow make me feel better about myself, as if I actually helped you? Will I slip back into my cynical, self-centered, North American life like I always do? I wish you hadn’t come because you forced me out of the comfort of apathy. – Dave
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May 12, 2012 By Leave a Comment

O How the Park Has Changed

Dear Social Media Mom, Yesterday was as beautiful day and we obviously had the same idea: take the kids to the park. I was intrigued watching you sit on the curb with iPhone in hand, periodically glancing up to watch your son or daughter go down the slide or swing on the swings. Normally, I wouldn’t have even noticed because I too would have my head down, buried in some device. I watched as you tapped away, glanced up, tapped away and glanced up again. O how the park has changed. Gone are the days when parents go to the park to play with their kids. It seems as though we go to give our kids something different to do so it entertains them just long enough for us to play with our own toys. We are more engrossed in what is going on with others than what is going on right in front of us; with our own kids. As I ponder the thought and pulled my own phone out of my pocket to see if anything interesting was happening, my 2 year old had managed to almost climb all the way to the top of the rope pyramid. I looked into her face, one of sheer determination and simply encouraged her to keep going. She reached the top. I almost missed it. What else has passed me by? – Dave
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March 31, 2012 By 1 Comment

Dear Possible Prince Charmings


Much like myself you probably also grew up watching Disney movies, getting sucked into the impossible stories of fairy tales, adventure and intrigue. No? Well, girls sure did and unfortunately there has been a huge misunderstanding regarding girls perceptions of what a “Prince Charming” is. I’m here to set the record straight.

Girls aren’t actually looking for a Prince Charming. Shocked? You should be. Possible Prince Charmings, you are under the impression you have to deliver a royalty of events in order to win over your princess. This is in fact not the case. You want to know what the ‘princesses’ are looking for? Well her it is. We are looking for someone who will single us out in a room full of people and treat us like we are the first and only girl you have ever met. We are looking for a man who will man up and take us on adventures we could not otherwise have taken ourselves on. We are looking for a man who will treat us with dignity and respect when we are in and out of the room. Strange though, most of these things were also done in Disney movies. Odd how we decide to have selective viewing.

Let me recap what really happened in some of those Disney movies:

Cinderella had NO idea she was dancing and falling in love with Prince Charming until he came looking for her after the ball.

Belle fell in love with a beast. Nuff said.

Jasmine picked a street rat over all the princes that came calling on her. She even preferred to be single over the princes that came calling.

Sleeping Beauty (Aurora) fell in love with what she thought was a popper in the forest. When she was told she had to marry the prince over this popper boy she cried….. A lot.

Rapunzel fell in love with a thief.

Ariel fell for a sailor.

None of these men became the Prince Charming in any of these girls lives until after they had fallen in love with them. This is how it works you know. You find that girl, single her out and love her, treat her right and respect her, show her adventures and laugh together and you might even get to rescue her from a few dragons.

Only after all this do you become her Prince Charming.

Sincerely,

Today’s letter was written by Anonymous Twitter: Blog: Written From: Disneyland
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March 28, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Dear 12-year-old who sat beside me at The Hunger Games


Dear 12-year-old who sat beside me at The Hunger Games.
Don’t worry. Our society will not choose you at random to engage in a battle royale to the death with other teenagers to keep our city in line and provide entertainment to the rich and famous. We will not sacrifice you for the sake of appeasement, or entertainment. At least, we will not sacrifice your actual body. But we may sacrifice your spirit, your soul, by asking you to play other games by other rules, strange rules that govern the politics of life in this culture. Games and rules that keep us in line, entertained, distracted from better things, higher goals, for the sake of keeping things in line; for keeping US in line. For that, I apologize. May the odds be ever in your favor. And if they aren’t, may you realize that it doesn’t really matter anyways.

Today’s letter was written by Name: Sam Twitter: @@vancvrsam Blog: http://thedefaultlife.com Written From: Kelowna, BC
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October 14, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Platforms Were Made to Change Lives vs. My Wife Makes Me Watch (I Swear)

Dear Maker of Dreams, Some may read this letter and think it's a shameless plug. From some perspectives, they may be right. But when someone inspires and engages in beautiful acts of humanity, it moves me. The cynic may even say that when you have lots of money it's easy to make people's dreams come true and they would be right in that assessment as well. But what I find so fascinating and encouraging about you is that you have worked hard for the platform that you now occupy and you're not skwandering it. It is not a place for you to shine in the spotlight but rather for you touch people in ways that they never dreamed possible. Yesterday you changed the lives of two little girls who got to not only meet their idol but perform with her as well. . . live on TV. Sure it'll probably come back to haunt them come graduation day I guarantee that they will never forget it. I have seen so many people in your position treat it like a rightful throne. I have seen them use it for solely their own gain or push an agenda that is detrimental to the human spirit. But not you. Every day you set out to make people smile, laugh and most of all dance. You set out to change the lives of talented YouTube nobodies. You believe in people and share a humanity that often seems lost in selfish culture.
Today’s letter goes out to Ellen DeGeneres (@THEELLENSHOW) whose heart to make people happy and change their lives comes out every day.
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October 12, 2011 By 1 Comment

Wannabe Trend Setter vs. “Compassionate” Label Whore

Dear Wanna Be Trend Follower, It's crazy and frustrating to realize how our materialistic culture has conditioned me. When I saw your TOMS rip-offs (only assuming they are "BOBS" by Sketchers. My first reaction was "Nice fake shoes. Couldn't afford the real ones?" Which if you think about it is a straight by-product of the school yard where kids are made fun of, called four eyes and told that their brown moose sweater and velcro Brooks are for 90 year olds. I caught myself off guard. Who am I to judge you on your shoes? Just because they copied the business/marketing model of another company who gives away shoes to kids who need them? It's ridiculous how we identify with individual labels as opposed to brilliant acts of humanity: how we identify with the latest passing trends as opposed to solid, timeless ethical convictions like giving. Toms, Sams, Jims, or Normans; it shouldn't matter; yet it does. As you stood wearing your fake TOMS and me wearing my fake BOBS, I couldn't help by ask myself: "What's more important, the packaging or end product?" I knew the answer before I asked the question.
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September 28, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Restoring hope to a broken world = Culture making

Today’s letter goes out to Andy Crouch (@ahc) whom I had the privilege of hearing talk about what it means to be a culture maker. (Not an affiliate link)
Dear Seasoned Culture Maker, I have been apart of culture shaping conversations for most of my life but never have I understood what it means to create culture as much I do after hearing you so clearly articulate your own passions. What I realized last night was that we, as North Americans, are great at shifting culture, at moving culture, and at rearranging culture; but we have missed the mark when it comes to creating culture. You said that when "culture is created well, threre is a flourishing; it enahnces the world around us." Often we set out to create culture for our own gain: our own ego (despite how noble our intentions may seem). But when this is our approach we end up paying god and can throw our world into a state of poverty that it does not deserve. The powerful portrait you painted of restoration is what clicked for me. We were created to create culture. But somehow most of us have shifted to consuming culture. In order to a create culture that enhances the world in which we live we need to restore hope. Hope in ourselves, who we are and who we were created be. Hope in others. But most of all, hope in humanity.
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July 20, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Pretentious Assholes vs. Cynical Assumptions

Dear Lamborghini Driver, I don't know if there is a more pretentious vehichle in our town of 100,000 people than your pearl white Lambhorghini Gallardo. The stark contrast between your current mode of transportation and the overflowing shopping cart of scrounged treasures being pushed down the sidewalk by one of the many homeless was sobering. The fact that your vehicle alone could almost buy a house for he which has no home does not seem right. There are two things that occurred to me as the dichotomous situation slowly registered. One: I made a big assumption that you were a pretentious asshole who only thinks of himself while snubbing the less fortunate. Fact is, you could easily be funding one of the many low income/homeless initiatives in our city. Two: It's officially summer. Despite the uncharactistically dreary weather for the usually scorching hot month of July, when the $100K cars come out to play summer has begun. -Dave
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July 18, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Fear vs. Habitual Confidence

Dear Fearless Bridge Jumpers, The drop didn't seem that far while standing on the shore. Yet as I leaned over the bridge rail and stared into the endless black hole that seemed to lurk just below the churning river waters, I knew that risk adverse status quo of our culture gripped me tight in its grasp. Entranced by the vortex of nothingness that you continually launched yourself into, I realized that I am nothing but a creation of my own habits. By cultural standards I am an out of shape, under achiever. As I watched you stare risk and fear in the face, I could see your confidence grow every time you won your inner battle. Each time your head popped up above the ice cold water you swam faster than the time before, anticipating another, more exhilarating jump. Don't ever lose your sense of fearlessness and self confidence. Stay in your 12 year old state of mind as long as you can. It's almost impossible to get it back once it's gone. -Dave
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