FOOD AND SLEEP

They are the necessities of life, food and sleep. I get plenty of one, and not enough of the other. I was reminded of the need for both yesterday. It was noon time at the Washington Post. Don Graham the Chairman of the Board of the Washington Post strode up to the lectern. This was a luncheon that he was hosting along with Bennett Zier, Bill Marriott, and Abe Pollin.

You recognize all the names, because they are some of the biggest movers and shakers in Washington. They had a job to do, they wanted to shake the money tree. The luncheon was for the Capital Area Food Bank's capital campaign. The Food Bank has outgrown it's current warehouse, and is going to move into a new facility. The artist rendering is to the right. The new facility will mean the Food Bank can feed more of the hungry in our region. The list of the hungry continues to grow as skyrocketing gas prices, and other economic pressures force more and more people to turn to the food bank for help.

Who is hungry? They are the people you brush by on the street, or the person you sit next to on the metro. The face of hunger looks a lot like the one you see in your mirror each morning. More and more people with jobs are turning to the Food Bank. They are called the working poor. People who are desperately trying to make it during a downturn in the economy, in a region with an enormously high cost of living.

So now the question is who are these people at this luncheon? Well they aren't people I normally brush by on the street. They are not the people I sit next to on the metro. These folks are in a league of their own. They have big wallets, but even bigger hearts. Graham was rallying the troops. The capital campaign has already raised 28 million dollars. Now it's a matter of raising another 8 million to make the dream a reality.

These luncheons are amazing to attend. I always feel out of place. During the luncheon Graham announced that Bill Marriott was going to donate another million dollars to the campaign. Later Graham pointed out that someone at his table was so moved by Marriott's generosity that he was pledging 100 thousand dollars. The guy sitting next to me pledged 25 thousand dollars.

Needless to say the money tree was shaking violently. I sent a note to one of the Board members who gave us talking points before the lunch.. I told him I thought the lunch went well. He responded by saying he thought it went well too, and that he was was inspired and was going to donate $20,000 dollars. Then he asked "Were you inspired too?" I was inspired, but I can't pull out a checkbook and write a check like that. I just had two unexpected last minute trips to California that I am still trying to pay off. I'm also helping to pay for some of my mom's funeral expenses, I have bills piling up, one child in college and another on the way. Some times I feel like I have more in common with the people coming to the Food Bank, then the people helping to fund it. But I can still write a check. Which brings me to my real point. Big checks and little checks add up. Mine won't be as big, but it will still matter. Anyone can help of course, if you would like to, here's the website. http://www.capitalareafoodbank.org/

Now on to that other necessity, sleep! I learned how important it is as the luncheon wound down. After all that iced tea and coffee I went to the bathroom. I heard what I thought was a chorus of people shouting Mike. I turned but didn't see anyone actually shouting my name. I thought I was imagining things. I went into the bathroom, did my business and exited the empty bathroom. As I came out someone was taking my picture and everyone else was laughing. It was only then that I realized I had entered the woman's bathroom. Man do I need more sleep!