To make a difference: Stop talking and simply do

“Everyone is trying to accomplish something big, not realizing that life is made up of little things.” ~ Frank Howard Clark (American Screenwriter)

When you look back on this time of your life five or 10 years from now, what will you remember? Will you remember how busy you were with classes or how many long hours you spent at work? I’m sure you will.

Will you remember the late nights out with your friends or the times when you made some stupid decisions? Again, the answer is yes. But I hope I can look back a decade from now and not wish I would have done more or spent more time forming relationships, friendships or forgetting my own priorities to help someone who could use my time more.

I often hear people say, “I wish I could volunteer more.” Or “I want to make a different.” OK… what are you waiting for? The opportunity might not jump in front of you or fall into your lap. At some point we must stop talking and start doing. It won’t be easy and it might not be comfortable, but wishing we could do more won’t make an impact on anybody.

Please keep in mind when reading this, that I am speaking to myself, as well.

Taking action, however, may interrupt your social life or take some away some of your weekend spending money. It may take some sacrifice. But I truly believe we were not made to go to school, work, or go out for the night and call our days a success.

I started reading a book called “Kisses from Katie” about a girl right out of high school who decided to move to Uganda and pour out her love on the children there. Don’t freak out or start shaking your head saying, “Well, not everyone can move across the world.” I’m not saying you have to, but she’s a great example of what can happen when we stop talking and starting doing.

The first page of the book let me know it would be powerful:

           

“People who really want to make a difference in the world usually do it, in one way or another. And I’ve noticed something about people who make a difference in the world: They hold the unshakeable conviction that individuals are extremely important, that every life matters. They get excited over one smile. They are willing to feed one stomach, educated one mind, and treat one wound. They aren’t determined to revolutionize the world all at once; they’re satisfied with small changes. Over time, though, the small changes add up. Sometimes they ever transform cities and nations, and yes, the world.”

Not everyone, obviously, will go down in the history books or have a book written about them. But what is stopping us from making one day better for one person? My friend, Patrick, and I started the Flint Stories Project in the fall. We listened and shared stories of people who have had rough lives, lived on the streets of Flint or simply had a great story to tell. It captured a lot more attention than we ever thought it would. Readers seemed to really appreciate what we were doing, but then when we challenged our readers (there were hundreds) to go and talk with someone, listen to their story and share it with us, we got one. ONE.

Why? What is stopping us from making moves toward action? I do not believe we were called to live ordinary lives.

I hope when I look back on my life a decade from now I don’t regret missing an opportunity to talk with someone or build a relationship. I hope I continue to learn from my flaws and mistakes and challenge myself to step out of my box and comfort zone and do more than just talk about should be done and just do it.

Take time and challenge yourself this week. You never know what you can accomplish until you try.

I am Sarah Schuch and I am Relayer

When I first began participating in Relay For Life at college, the word cancer didn’t mean much to me. I wanted to get involved in a community event and Relay seemed like a good way to do that.

Seven Relay For Life events later and it means so much more to me. I truly believe that almost everyone – if not everyone – has battled cancer, knows someone who has or knows someone who has lost a loved one to cancer.

In college, two of my close friends lost their moms to cancer. Over the past year I have had the honor of getting to know three beautiful girls in Genesee County fighting cancer. I was able to spend time with them for a feature I wrote for the Flint Journal, visiting them at home and at the hospital for treatments. They made my Relay experience even more important. (Read more about the girls here)

Even when things got hard for them they had such a positive attitude. They were truly inspiring.

I have heard countless stories of other kids, teens and adults fighting for their lives. If you’ve ever been to a Relay For Life, you know the people at the event have a special bond. They walk for 24 hours, but it’s a year-long mindset.

Relayers are like a family. We celebrate the survivors and cheer them on during the survivors lap. Many shed tears last year when the survivors walked that lap even as a storm rolled in. The singer performed “I will praise you in the storm,” and as the cancer survivors came around the track the sun became to peak through the clouds.

As a Relay community we take time to mourn, remember and cherish those who are still fighting or have lost their battle. We light up the luminaria bags and silently walk to remember why the fundraising efforts are so important. We never forget those who did not make it to see a cure.

We pledge to fight back. Whether through education, fundraising, research or a helping hand to those who need it, we make a pledge to make things easier for others.

My heart breaks for those who spend years trying to kick cancer out of their bodies. I will most likely never find a cure for cancer. I may never lose anyone close to me because of cancer. But today I choose to do something.

I am on the planning committee for Grand Blanc’s Relay For Life, which takes place on June 1. I am also on team with some of my friends (Mosaic Flint, join us!). One in 100 people are Relayers. Crazy, right?!

I am only one. And I could use your help. My fundraising goal is $500. Money doesn’t just go to research, but programs that help make life easier for those who have cancer. Please, if you can spare anything consider donating to this cause.

You can donate to my page directly here: http://main.acsevents.org/goto/SarahSchuch

For more information about the American Cancer Society's Relay For Life events visit www.relayforlife.org. For the Grand Blanc event go to www.relayforlife.org/grandblancmi.

Capturing the Moment. Enjoying the Moment.

I do not claim to be a photographer. But I like capturing moments and having fun with it. So when one of my best friends asked me to shoot her engagement photos, there was no way I could say no.

The best thing about the experience wasn't the photos themselves but the memories we made as we did it. I have not only been apart of both Aliscia and Aaron's lives since we were freshmen in college (Aaron kind of invaded my dorm room and Aliscia and I became inseparable after our first journalism class) but now I have become a part of their future.

I love my friends. The day we took the photos was proof. Aliscia had to be to work at 2, so instead of canceling we chose the next best option... waking up way to early to be in Detroit when the sun came up. We were determined to get some photos. And that we did.

It was cold, a bit too sunny and we were on a time crunch. But we found some cool parks, bridges, a non-water spewing fountain and backgrounds and we made sure to take time to have a lot of fun. Because if everything is taken too seriously then it all goes by too fast.

Congratulations to two of the best people I know! Let's get to the wedding planning :)

The Day I Met Batman

"Sometimes the people we meet change us forever." ~ Ben Affleck (Forces of Nature)

When I think about why I chose to be a journalist, it's not about the stories I write or the rush of a deadline. It's about the people I meet.

There are people who you may pass on the street and not give a second thought. They may have a cool story to tell. Other people are doing great things and might one day change the world. Then there are those people who are just themselves, but that's all they need to be to make an impact.

I had the honor of meeting one of those people. His name is Owen Wright and he is 5. Oh, and one other thing: He's a little person. ... Little person, Huge personality.

He greeted me in the driveway when I came to his house. He instantly wanted to show me around, calling for the "newspaper lady" to come look at all his toys. I'm pretty sure I didn't stop smiling the entire time I was there, especially when he tried to play fight his dad with foam swords or when he made shadow figures on the wall (in broad daylight I might add). The kid never stopped. ... unless of course it was to look up more Batman costumes on the Internet.

He said he will be Batman when he grows up. And who I am to tell him otherwise? I mean, how cool is it to know Batman personally?

Besides instantly falling in love with Owen, I learned a valuable lesson. If you don't treat someone like they are different than they may not realize that they are. If we stop treating people like they are less important than others, there's no saying what they can do in life. Well, one thing Owen might never do is a dunk a basketball. But even his dad said he can't do that.

Owen is a bundle of energy and ready to make friends with anyone. That's my challenge to you. Put yourself in Owen's shoes. Don't look at the world like you aren't good enough. Instead run full force into life, even if you fall. Because he does his fair share of that. But he bounces right back up again.

I had the pleasure of doing a story on Owen and joined him on his first day of kindergarten!

Check out the story here on MLive.com. The pictures that go with it are absolutely adorable and will make you fall in love with Owen, too. Trust me.

Now I will just have to be patient and wait for the day when the Bat Signal flashes in the sky.

For the Love of Haiti

“I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And I will not let what I cannot do stand in the way of what I can do.” ~ As seen on a T-shirt in Haiti.

If I had to sum up my trip to Haiti in only a few words they would have to be amazing, life-changing, fulfilling, heart warming, heart breaking and surreal.

It’s hard to take nine days and put it into only a few sentences or paragraphs. I’m still processing what I’ve seen, the people I’ve met and the great things I’ve experienced.

But I can tell you what I know, what has stuck out to me the most and the things I will never forget.

The group I went down with went with little expectation. We didn’t know exactly what we would be doing or what was in store for us, but we went willing and excited. But I can guarantee that the one thing we will all walk away with is our great appreciation for safe, clean, worry-free water that we can get everywhere.

That is not the case in Haiti.

Clean water is a luxury -- an expensive one. I tried to pay attention to how much I use water now that I’m home – when I brush my teeth (couldn’t put my toothbrush under the sink water in Haiti), when I shower (had to keep my mouth closed in Haiti), drinking water, washing my hands and my dishes. I never worry about what’s in my water or if I could become seriously ill. Something that seems so common has gotten lost in Haiti.

My group met up with an amazing person on our way to Haiti. Fresh out of college, Kenzie had a passion to bring a basic, life-saving need to Haiti. And that’s exactly what she did. Because of a grant she received, our team was able to install about 50 water filters into homes throughout Haiti.

We had the rare opportunity to go into families’ homes and into their most intimate of places to install a filter that could bring them clean water for 8 to 10 years. A tall plastic bucket has a much greater meaning now.

We were immersed in the culture and met some awesome families that were nothing but welcoming to us. Above all else we were able to show love to those that needed it.

Besides the children that crossed our paths (and there were many), we also had the joy of meeting Gertrude, who ran the orphanage we stayed in. She opened her heart to children with handicaps and those who were severely malnourished. She took in those who would have otherwise been rejected. Her heart and love for these children is something I will carry with me always.

Photo by Josh Kennedy

So that is just a short version of everything we experienced during our time in Haiti. I couldn’t have asked for a better team of people, including Patrick and Robenson who truly made us felt safe and gave us a better understanding of the country. I’m glad I had no expectations, because it allowed me to take in whatever came my way.

I have not said good-bye to Haiti. I will go back. That is a promise.

Other Lessons from Haiti:

-   I will never complain about Michigan roads ever again.

-   Riding in the back of pick up truck wasn’t glamorous but it was an adventure.

-   I still have no idea what the speed limit is in Haiti (I think the same goes for many Haitians)

-   If you hear a child yell “Hey You!” It is a guarantee that they are talking to you.

-   I’m thankful that I don’t have to worry about hitting cows, chickens, goats or other livestock with my car on a daily basis.

-   The children of Haiti stole my heart.

-   I need to learn creole.

-   “Live simply so that others may simply live.”

Remembering to Rest

Life can get crazy. I'm trying to remind myself when that happens to stop, breathe and enjoy what's around me.

It's been a month since my friend Lindsay and I took a journey to Pictured Rocks in the UP. It was four slow moving days filled with nature, beauty, water, s'mores, camp fires and sunsets. Most of the time our phones had no signal and we had no where to be in a hurry. Peaceful. I would like to go back there.

Our campsite overlooked Lake Superior and we saw possibly the most beautiful sunsets I've ever seen. One night we laid out on the beach and just looked at the stars because, well, what else were we going to do in the middle of no where. But to be in the middle of no where is somewhere I would like to be more often. Everything is different there.

As I start a work week that will be filled with night meetings (not my favorite part of my job) I like to remember that a time to rest and take in some calm is needed. It will however be hard to top the weekend in Pictured Rocks where we kayaked 10 miles right along side the beautifully striped rocks, so close we could touch them. We maneuvered through little caves, went under a small waterfall and paddled through Lake Superior over a ship wreck. Our tour guide Greg (we went through Paddling Michigan) was great, entertaining and knowledgeable. Hands down the best part of the trip. The weather was perfect and literally just as we paddled up to the shore at the end of the day it started to rain. Couldn't have asked for better timing.

Every time I see such beauty it brings me a little more sanity in my life -- which I don't have much of to begin with. In my opinion, it's God's way of reminding me that he is there and that slowing down every once in awhile is needed.

Our next day's adventure took us hiking through some cool trails, near some waterfalls and rivers and down to an awesome beach. Some people might not see this as relaxing, but for us it was just what we needed. I can honestly say this trip will be hard to top. But I challenge you to do what I will be doing this week -- Find time to stop, relax and take in something beautiful. Always being in a rush will only cause you to miss out on something great.

Stories. People. Life.

"If history were taught in the form of stories, it would never be forgotten." ~ Rudyard Kipling

I've been thinking, what if we went up to complete strangers just to find out their story?

When I'm running, in a new place, running errands or volunteering I look at a person and wonder, "What has their life been like? What is something you would never know until you ask?" Maybe it's the journalist coming out in me, but seriously, how cool of a project would that be?

What if every month, every week or even every day you went up to someone new and just talked to them and listened. I bet you would be surprised by what they had to say. Sure, there will be some that want nothing to do with you. That's life.

But what if that person was dying to tell someone, anyone their story. What if it made their day a whole lot better? I met some pretty amazing people in my life and taking them at face value does not do them justice. Hearing their story, their past and what gets their heart beating... that's what makes them stick in my mind.

Everyone has something cool to say,even if they don't think so. It's almost always guaranteed. Maybe I will take this on as a challenge...