The bucket and the bell ringer

Is it just me or has anyone noticed that there is a bucket and a bell ringer at every store in America? Every drug store, every grocery store, WalMart, Target, Kohl's. I'm as charitable as the next person but I'm down about 10 bucks this blessed holiday season so far. I worry when I drive into a parking lot, break out into a cold sweat wondering if I have any singles in my wallet. It's affecting my every day life, "Wait! That's my last single, I need it for the bucket!"

Try explaining that to her at the Scary Asian Dry Cleaning Dudes fine establishment. If she goes to "ah Casino" for Thanksgiving how do I get the whole bucket and bell ringer concept across to her? She made it all to clear a few years ago, exact change is highly recommended. I tried to explain I needed my singles for the boys lunch money. She didn't care if my boys had lunch, why would she care about the down trodden and destitute? I'm frightened. I need to go to the bank.

I've started looking for stores without that red tripod with the red bucket dangling from it or better yet, sit in the parking lot and wait for the bell ringer to go on break, or sometimes you can see the tripod but the bucket is missing that's when you make a break for it. Run into the store during a terrible blizzard, bad weather chases away God's chosen ones, the people that give up hours of their day to stand out in the cold ringing a bell to get you to donate.

I'm a horrible person. I have to go check my wallet and make sure I have enough singles in there for when I go shopping tomorrow. Because I won't pass up a bucket without making my deposit. God bless the bell ringers. I think I'm going to hell, damn it.

We Call Ourselves Crabs

I have been selling online since 2003. I've been a member of various online sellers message boards, bouncing around getting and giving advice. I bounced into The Crabby Host this past summer and found my second home. We call ourselves crabs. I've made friends there, I've learned there, shared, laughed, cried there, I have a friend in need there.
One of our members is facing cancer without insurance. Her username is flying high and her husband is also a member, he's The Pet Guy. Together they are facing uncertainty and mounting medical bills with grace and a dedication towards each other that you just don't see every day.
Led by Deb and Joe over at The Crabby Host the members have rallied! We have a support/donation thread in the works. There you can find out how flying high aka Martha and The Pet Guy aka Harold are doing, they post often. You can leave some supportive words, stories or poems. Hey guess what? You can also make a donation! Here is a direct link for those donations.
Whether you make a donation or not, whether you visit us or not, that's up to you. But I am asking you to say a prayer for Martha and Harold. Every little bit helps. I have a Sellers Helping Sellers Blog ribbon/widget on my right side bar. I couldn't get it in my post for some reason. I'll keep working on that! Thanks for reading one of the most important post I've written in a while.