{ DAY 412 }

We watched as the long slender candy cane striped arm came down across the road and the cars started piling up, something so small holding back like a dam the flood of people stretching back as far as we could see in our rear view mirror.  Lights started flashing and the beeping nose came loud and clear as we sat looking for the rush of speed that was about to come.  There we sat and waited.  And waited.  The rumbling never came though and still we sat.  Christa and I kept chatting hoping that something would change.  Finally we turned off the car and proceeded to get out and grab our phones from the trunk.  “Can we do anything” we wondered?  Bicyclists conveniently asserted their advantage of size and passed around the blockade while we were completely stuck.  “Maybe we can call someone to help?”  By this time we were getting antsy so we picked our brains for ideas.  After I spotted a sign with a number on it we decided that it couldn’t hurt to try and call so Christa punched out the numbers that I squinted to view.  Yes, we called the US Railway number.  What else are two gals supposed to do?!  Shortly there after a guy came and lifted up that candy cane arm and let us pass.  As we drove over the tracks we were triumphant because we realized something.  We had just defied the Bystander Effect.  Usually we succumb to it.  We especially do if we aren’t aware of it.   This heuristic goes that generally where there is a problem or a crisis the more people that are involved or watching the less likely someone will be to do anything about it.  Isn’t that interesting?  We thought it was.  Yet the Bystander Effect has been around far before it was labeled.  While reading in Malachi I came across this verse in chapter one, “Oh that there were one among you who would shut the doors, that you might not kindle fire on my altar in vain!”  That’s all it takes.  It takes one person to make a stand.  One person to change the course.  One person to make a difference.  It’s easy to think that someone else will fix the problem because there are so many other people that could do something right?  No, it needs to start with me.  Will it start with you?  Will you be the one to stand against the river and go upstream?  I hope you will.  Today.  Now is always the best time to start the good things that should have been done yesterday.  Now, really is all the time we are guaranteed.  Let’s be the people who make a difference.

(Photos by: Christa Taylor)  Huge props to Christa for not only shooting these pictures but styling them as well.  Behind the scenes side note:  she draped and pinned that piece of fabric right onto me….she later threw the piece of fabric right into the dumpster.  That’s how we roll. 😉

Also I’m still looking for some willing people to be a part of the 2013 fundraising team.  Do you want to help sweet orphans in India?  Now is your chance!  Email me at misselaini @ gmail.com (remove spaces) if you’re interested!