Restored Faith in Humanity

Actor Misha Collins puts on an event for charity, Random Acts. For the past 2 years he has sponsored the http://www.gishwhes.com/what_is_gishwhes.php  or G.I.S.H.W.H.E.S. Last year I started seeing activity with the hashtag #GISHWHES and read up on it. Of course it was too late to get involved but I thought that maybe this was something I would like to get involved in the following year (this year). Well I did ... and it was a blast.

I was first invited to do be on a team with another friend but declined. I cited that I was too busy, too much to do in order to dedicated time to creating art ... Then came my "sistah from another mistah" and I find it very hard to refuse her anything and so I joined Team Hell Yeah!

Backing up the truck a little bit. You may be asking yourself "what the hell is Karen talking about" ... This is a scavenger hunt, per se. It actually involves doing out of the ordinary things to take you out of your "comfort zone". To create art and to maybe just make someone smile. This event has broken more then one Guinness Book World Records and this year they were out to break the world record for the largest online album of hugs. Even if some of the hugs get thrown out at the last count I saw there were over 190,000 hugs photos submitted (with some sort of sign held up, your choosing) ... the record was just over 69,000.

We were given a list of 155 item and over a week long period we were expected to create these things. The items ranged from creating a landmark entirely made from books to "hatching" an egg on a busy intersection; to making and cuddling under a dirty sock quilt to entertaining a dialysis patient during treatment. I even made a bikini entirely from tea bags ... and modeled it (thank you Focus T25 ) LOL ... I hugged strangers at the park and people were happy to do things for you when you explained the nature of the hunt. The event ended yesterday ... now it's the wait. Do I think we have a shot at the Grand Prize of a trip to Vancouver, Canada? I think everyone does. I was amazed at the sheer brilliance of the team I was on. I wasn't able to contribute much but I had fun and did what I could.

If you have a chance to be on a team (OR START ONE) next year I say do it. It may change your life.