Good evening, and welcome to this blog offering. I hope that you are well.
I’ve been fortunate enough to have been able to donate both Blood and Bone Marrow – as the image above will testify to, because you get a little card for your wallet that tells people you donate. I am also an organ donor – but ironically, I don’t appear to have my organ donor card anymore, and so am in need of a new one. I am looking for a suitably matched person to donate their organ donor card to me.
Because that is the purpose of these cards; in the event of my death, or if I am in a life threatening accident, these cards will let the relevant persons know that I have given my consent to have my organs donated in the event of my death. I would hope that these cards would have another function; as a deterrent to pick pockets. If someone stole my wallet, I would hope that finding these cards as they rifled through its contents would make them think twice about stealing from such a kind, generous person, and make them return it to me. Unless they had killed me for it, in which case they might just think that they were helping me to do what I had so nobly promised to do.
Incidentally the wording on my Bone Marrow donor card is interesting: “I’m a bone marrow VOLUNTEER donor”. This says that I volunteered to donate my bone marrow – but does that also mean that there are some people who had no choice whether their bone marrow was going to be taken? Do they have a little card in their purse or wallet that says “They took my bone marrow by force – I didn’t need it apparently” ? I think the card should just say “Bone Marrow Donor – Awesome!”
Anyway, I was thinking – why is there no donor card scheme for your clothing? Why are Charities and Humanitarian organisations not creating donor cards for clothing – “I want my clothing to be passed on to people who need it after my death”. Think about it – the current refugee crisis around the world; people having to flee their home countries because of war and genocide etc. who literally only have the clothes they are wearing at the time. Or the number of people who are struggling to be able to afford to live any kind of normal life due to the current economic crisis and austerity cuts? Food banks are on the increase, the gap between the rich and the poor is widening, and the ‘have nots’ outnumber the ‘haves’.
When you are dead, you are dead. You don’t need your clothes anymore. And what happens to them afterwards? They might (only might, mind you) be taken to a charity shop, or most likely be thrown out to end up in landfill. So why not ensure that after you are gone, your clothes continue to serve a purpose by clothing someone who needs them?
I think all the major charities and humanitarian organisations throughout the world should set up a clothing donor card, so that we are able to help those who need help, after we are gone.
And I know that donating clothes is not the solution to the gap between the rich and the poor, nor is it the solution to the refugee crisis. But what is more likely – The governments and powers around the world making a fundamental change to better the existence of everyone who inhabits this planet of ours or a simple donation being set up to ensure that some good is shared around.
W Is For Duck 