Roxanne K. Cottell

In each one of us there lives a hero.
We all need a cause for which to support, to stand for, to be part of, and for me there are many causes. I no longer fight. Fighting does nothing, and fighting causes more harm than good. I think of myself as a warrior, one who marches, one who stands for something, and one who goes to the mat in defense of what it is that they believe in.

Be part of something bigger than yourself, and be there for someone else. You might not realize it, but your one little contribution of time and care are worth more to many than is a dollar amount.
When you give of yourself, you give to the rest of the world that little part of you that tells us all that you are pure, divine, holy, selfless and that you truly love and you truly care. It does not mean that you are some kind of weak-kneed pansy. Quite the opposite.

There is a grassroots organization which raises funds for causes, and as of this moment we call ourselves Ka Lahui Aloha. If you would like to find out more about it, please send an email by clicking here .

Mahalo for your time and your care...MAPU

Some of the most beautifully spiritual people are those whom we do not understand but love anyway...


LOS ANGELES, CA, OCT. 19, 2008

It had been a few years since the last time I attended an event as monumental as AIDSWALK, but I was there this year. There is nothing more beautiful than seeing an ocean of people all gathered for a cause that touches them personally. Many people are under the impression that those who live the GLB lifestyle are somehow wrecked spiritually, but after I saw what I saw this past Sunday, I have confirmation that I have been right all along. Gays and Lesbians are not wrecked people. Very simply they are people who live the way they want to live. You hear so much rhetoric about how it is that they choose to be this way, but I ask you - do you know anyone who would choose to live as pariahs their entire lives long?

Me, neither.

Too often in life we choose to be part of a larger thinking that what is not normal to our limited thinking is not normal, period. What I saw this past Sunday was a show of love and support and kinship between strangers who, for one day, became family. Essentially this is what any effort as big as AIDSWALK is- not only a fundraising event, but also a day for us all to be together for a common goal. Love is the simplest thing in the world to feel but sometimes is the hardest thing in the world to share. In the midst of perceived calamity and news of economic disaster, AIDSWALK participants in Los Angeles managed to raise 3.2 million dollars this year.

If we would all just take one day out of our lives to become one another, we would understand the importance of events and organizations such as AIDSWALK.

I don't know what else to say other than that I cannot wait until next year. I decided that mine would be the halau that makes its mark in hula circles by means of competition. Competition is a wonderful thing, but it is not the only thing, and if you know me then you already know that I do not like to compete. Mine will stand for those things vital to our everyday living. We need to be healthy, and we need to be strong, and we need to be able to cope, but mostly, we need to be and feel and know that we deserve to be loved and to love one another. Hula is about ohana and the aloha spirit.

If you would like more information about my halau concept, please do not hesitate to send me an email. I am glad to spread the message that ultimately we are all brought into this life to be in and of good service to one another.

Please give to AIDSWALK. Please Give to any worthy cause. It is worth it to help others. In these times of economic crisis, it is of utmost importance that we understand the value we each hold for each other.

Click here to be taken to the SALVATION ARMY website

 

American Red Cross

 

Donate your time and your heart...

(Picture of Hurricane Katrina Victims - AP newswire)