The Best Text I Ever Sent

I love texting. I love that it is immediate and I love that I can use it to communicate with the world at large. You know, the one that works a regular schedule while I work 3p-12A. Texting gives me a way to communicate on the sly, outside regular channels that require speaking and letting a boss know I am on the phone other than the one that customers are calling on.

 

Texting has many wonderful and practical uses. Today I found the best use of all. Like many of us, I have been horrified at the stories and pictures coming out of Haiti the last few days. The impoverished nation has been all but leveled by a 7.0 earthquake! Collapsed buildings are just the beginning of the horror. There is no food, little clean water and even less medical supplies and personnel to attend to the wounded. The number of casualties grows exponentially by the minute. They have no infrastructure in place to help with such a massive disaster and they are overwhelmed!

 

While watching these images on CNN, my heart was breaking! I felt compelled to help! I was surprised to see that by texting “Haiti” to 90999, a $10 donation will be sent to the Red Cross and then charged to my cell phone bill! Amazing! I could donate, charge it and it is so easy!

 

Last I heard, over 7 million dollars was raised in text donations over the last couple of days! That’s a lot of tiny typing being done in the name of humanity! I know there will be a lot of efforts to get help and money sent to Haiti and I am sure it will all be welcome. Texting utilizes technology to get people to donate in a way that is quick and easy!

 

All of my California friends, both Northern and Southern have been in an earthquake! Those of us here who remember Northridge and my No Cal friends remember Loma Prieto! We know what it feels like to be rocked and we were lucky to survive. Many in Haiti did not! Imagine what life would be like now if we faced the kind of leveling in our cities as they experienced in Haiti! It is sad! No malls, theatres, restaurants, not to mention hospitals!

 

If you are reading this and remember, and even if you don’t, would you just take a couple of seconds and text the Red Cross! You won’t even notice the $10 on the bill and it will be the best text you will ever send! I am sure the Haitians will be grateful.