March 1, 2013
Dear Everyone:
Many, many years ago, probably before most of us were born, our Mother
had a conversation with a neighbor of hers who, explained in a
matter-of-fact sort of way, that her husband had hit her.
Mother was, naturally, shocked.
“Doesn’t your husband hit you?” the woman asked.
The answer, of course, goes without saying.
Nevertheless, there are still many men in the world who think nothing of
expressing themselves with their fists.
And that’s why groups such as a “Battered Women’s Network” exist.
There is such a group here in Contra Costa County.
They have an “official” address.
But that’s not where their clients are hiding.
That’s just where you send the checks, something I’ve been doing
for many years. They subsist
on donations.
Over time, they came to realize that women aren’t the only ones to be
abused. So they changed
their name to “STAND! Against
Domestic Violence.”
Nicely gender and age non-specific, don’t you know.
Then someone told them that negative terms, like “against”, give a,
well, “negative” vibe. And
they “merged” with another equally moral support-group of some kind and
changed their name again:
“STAND! For Families Free of Violence”.
Laudable, if a little lengthy to write on a check.
One of the things I like about them is that they don’t flood my mailbox
with pleas for money. Ditto
email. Maybe once or twice a
year, I’ll get a discreet little missive, just to remind me that they’re
there.
Which is how I found out about their annual Benefit:
An Academy Awards Party.
Now, “Jeannie” and I have gotten together for the Awards show every year
for a long, long time. We
have even invited others to join us, with mixed results.
So it made sense to go to the Benefit instead.
For one thing, no cleaning house before and after.
A theater in
Concord provides the venue.
Local restaurants donate goodies, which amount to a
tax deduction
and relatively inexpensive advertising to a potential clientele,
well-heeled, as they say, that they would welcome.
For a “small donation”, you can get a glass of
champagne.
When it’s empty, you simply trade it in for a full one as many
times as you like.
Throughout the evening, you hear the occasional sound of glass breaking,
when someone drops theirs.
No worries. A broken glass
is as good as an empty one.
(For the record, I’m always the designated driver for the evening.
So I have a soft drink instead.
These are free. And
plastic.)
As for the show itself, provided by a
satellite-feed, it usually goes
quite well. And on a 40-foot
screen, you not only get a really good view of the dress, you can
actually count the sequins, if you so desire.
During the commercial breaks, they cut the sound and announce
raffle
winners. There is a
Silent Auction for non-edible goodies donated by various local businesses.
And they have a contest for the best-dressed male, female and
group. This is all the
excuse “Jeannie” needs to wear her most fabulous vintage
rhinestone
jewelry. She never wins the
contest, but that’s not the point.
A good time is had by all and the money goes to a very worthy cause.
All of this and popcorn, too.
Love, as always,
Pete
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