How it all happened

I was at work Friday night and things were slow, so I was reading a couple of blogs, when I came across this post by Leigh Ann.
She seemed pretty upset, because she found out that her debt was significantly higher than she had thought. I sat and thought about it for a few minutes and posted a comment telling her what I would do if I were in her situation. Just my own personal opinion. After that, things picked up a bit at work, so I had to go about doing my job. But I kept thinking about her post, and wishing I could do SOMETHING to help.
I ran my bills through my head and counted on my fingers and I could afford about fifty bucks. I wished I could do more, but I just didn't have the money. I was thinking of how much she has inspired me over the last year, and how if there was a way to help her more, I would. I started thinking about how she was always encouraging everyone online and how she never has a bad word to say about anyone.
So I started thinking that if everyone were to pitch in fifty bucks, she would be completely out of trouble. The trouble is, however, that I know that a lot of people on here are not really able to come up with fifty bucks. That's a lot of money if you don't have it. (Actually, it's a lot of money whether you have it or not)
So I ran some more numbers around in my head and figured that I could probably scrape up another fifty bucks. So I went ahead and decided that I would do my best and let everyone else decide what they could do, or would do.
So I wrote my post, all the while thinking, "this is going to take some balls to pull this one off"
Then I went and left my second comment on Leigh Ann's blog.
It's amazing what goes through your head when you try to set something like this up. What if nobody else thinks this is a good idea? What if Leigh Ann is offended by this? What if everyone does their best and it's just not enough for her to get by on? But I just said to myself, WTF.
So then the waiting game started. Yennie left a comment on my blog first.
When Yen commented, I went ahead and left my final comment, and then I knew it had a good chance of working, because nobody wants to be the first.
At that time I started going to different people's blogs, who I knew were regular readers of Leigh Ann's, and giving them a "heads up" to go check out Save Leigh Ann.
It took TTQ less than three minutes to respond.
And then I had to go home.

I live an hour from work, so all the way home I was wondering how it was going to go. What if everyone just gives a buck?
Well, I decided, it doesn't matter. If someone gives a buck, or they give a hundred bucks each, as long as it's from the heart, it will still make a difference.
When I got home, Corker had just posted. It was starting to look like it was going well. I waited around a little while, and looked at the hit counter page. Yes, I saw a few other people lurking besides just me. No names. But I saw you.

And then I went to bed. I still had to work again Saturday night.
And of course, I overslept.
When I woke up, I had comments from Sheila, Bilbo Faggins, and Karinaxoxo.
But I had to run to get to work on time.

I had a pretty good rant worked out in my head just in case I tried this and nobody replied. And I had managed to figure out my budget enough that I could come up with two hundred more dollars if I needed to, but it would have really hurt. But while I was driving to work, I was pretty sure that everything was going to go very well.
But what if Leigh Ann had understated her finances? What if everyone pitched in and she found out it still wouldn't be enough to help? So I started coming up with a plan B. I resolved that I would help out Leigh Ann, not only if it hurt, but if it put me really back. This was just one of those times where it just HAS to work. Leigh Ann is just that kind of a person.
So then I started thinking about Bilbo Faggins' comment. It really pissed me off.

(rant) I don't get pissed off very easily. I'm a happy-go-lucky kind of person. Maybe once in a year will I get even remotely ticked. But to get completely pissed is pretty rare indeed. Today is one of those days.
Bilbo Faggins wrote: "I dont get these "save me im in debt" blogs. There are hundreds of them.
Medical debt or something like that would be different. But when its their own fault? WTF. There are much better places to send a few hundred dollars."
Ok, now WTF is this? First of all, if you had bothered to READ my post, you would have no doubt noticed that it was QUITE CLEARLY no longer about "save" Leigh Ann. It was a post about "we love" Leigh Ann.
Second of all, yes, there are better places to send a few hundred dollars. Did I ask anyone for a few hundred dollars? Or did I just ask for a buck or two?
I do send money to other places as well. I also help out a lot of other people. This event, while unique to you, is common place to me. I do this type of thing EVERY WEEK. I don't send a few hundred dollars somewhere and be happy. I like to think big. So which places have you sent any money? It's easy to sit there and say there are better places. Which places have you sent money to? I'll tell you. None. You know how I know that? It's because I know your type. Self assured, arrogant, head up the ass people who think that they can just sit there and blow holes in other people's ideas while still feeling good about themselves. Well guess what. It doesn't work here. "There are much better places to send a few hundred dollars" just doesn't do it as well as "And if nobody else goes along with it, that's ok, too. I'll come up with a couple more hundred dollars and do it all myself."
Did you know that just in this last year alone I have given away over twenty thousand dollars, helping other people to better themselves? So take your few hundred dollars and choke on it, you piece of shit. (/rant)

Ok, well that's my rant. Not very eloquent, I admit. I'm not any kind of professional writer or anything. But I know someone who is.
Karyn came by, and she is a professional writer. And a damn good one if what everyone says is true. She managed to say everything that I just said above in one quick comment. She said, "And go fuck yourself Bilbo Faggins."
You see, that's why she's a professional writer and I'm just some guy who keeps a blog. She has an absolute gift for just nailing the right words.

When Karyn posted that she had donated, that's when I knew it was all going to work out. I know that Leigh Ann is Karyn's number one fan. She absolutely adores her.
And if Karyn told her to pay it all off, I knew that it was a done deal.

After that, Elizabeth and Lex posted, and Denial Renae squoze in at the last minute.

In all, out of everyone who's blog I posted to, the only ones who didn't reply are Katie-Q and Heather, and I'm sure that they both would have, had they been online.
I know that Katie-Q has some internet connection problems. She won't be back until later in the week. And Heather didn't get on. I know because I happen to know her IP address and I checked the site meter. And besides, I know both of them enough to know that they would have if they knew. It was, after all, very short notice. But I'm still counting them both as helping out. If fact, it was Heather who designed Leigh Ann's site to begin with.

And last but not least, I was really proud of Kayla, from Random Girl.
She doesn't even know Leigh Ann, but she still helped out, just because she trusted my judgement. I'm proud to know you, Kayla. Thank you.

And thank you to everyone else who helped out. Do you get the same kind of warm and squishy feeling inside that I have? Or is that just gas?
I recommend trying this out in your own lives. Find someone to help out. Make it a habit. You really can make a difference in people's lives.

But most of all, I would like to take just a moment to say thank you to Leigh Ann. Thank you for your friendship. Thank you for your inspiration. Thank you for the ups and the downs. But most of all, thank you for being born. You are a wonderful person, Leigh Ann. I'm really proud of you. YOU DID IT!!! YOU ARE DEBT FREE!!!!




-jag