Finding hidden treasures in all the right places

Been out running around the city of Winnipeg, Manitoba. Winnipeg is said to have the largest Aboriginal population in Canada. Other people say it is Toronto that has the largest population of Indian people. All I know is in Winnipeg, you can see an Indian everywhere. Anyway, been going around to the North End of the city, where there are some Native organizations. Trying to get some interest from them into our Gathering. While in the north end I stopped at a second hand shop run by the Mennonite Central Committee. The MCC does a lot of charity work. When looking around second-hand shops, I don't really look for anything in particular. Sometimes I look for "silent butlers". I use them for smudge bowls and end up giving them away. I didn't find a silent butler but I found something way cooler. It is an outside popcorn maker. At least that is what the gentleman told me. I think it will make an awesome smudge bowl. I am so excited about buying this smudge bowl/holder. The best news was that it cost me one dollar! Yep, one little dollar. Maybe it's not the best news. The best news is how the little things make you feel charged.

I am going to keep running around the city and start bumming from people for our Gathering. So far it's going pretty good. The first week going and we have a place to hold the event, several speakers, a few Elders, some Traditional people wanting to take part, a medical clinic and a established Survivor Group.

So I am encouraged by the response from people. It is funny as to how good people can be and how apathetic people can be. My daughter is fund raising for a school event and it was our turn to sit at a local grocery store. Fund raising is a hard thing to do. Many people would not make eye contact with the two girls at their table. I kept teasing the girls to make eye contact with the shoppers when they give their sales pitch. A good number of people politely say no thanks, while some just walk fast and stare ahead. The girls had fun and didn't take rejection badly at all.

That was such a treasure to see. In the midst of a lot of "no's" and being ignored, the girls laughed with each other and just had a heck of a good time doing what they were doing.

That is the lesson I got to learn and the attitude I have to keep when going around drumming up interest into our Gathering, don't take rejection personally. Don't get upset when people don't respond.

Trouble for me, it does bug me.