Yesterday, I received an e-mail from DC-based personal trainer Josef Brandenburg.  Rather than mincing his words, I’m just going to cut and paste his e-mail/blog post in right here:

A client of mine does a LOT of charity work and mentoring. One day he brought in one of his mentees to a training session – lets call him Larry.  Larry was such a great kid – a real joy to work with. The kind of kid that I would (and did) work with for free.

Larry is in a very tough spot in his life. For Christmas his MAJOR wish was for SOCKS because he doesn’t even have real socks… something that I just can’t fathom. Socks?  (By the way, if you don’t celebrate X-mass that is OK. This is totally NON-religious.  It is just about being  human and about making someone’s life a little brighter.)

When I woke up today I thought, “Man, you know what would be really great?  What if me and everyone I know chipped in to get Larry a HUGE gift certificate from Target?”

So, even though I am not there to ask you in person, I am asking you to please help me out.  You seem like the kind of person that would love to do something like this.  (I say that because you read my Blog.) Even if its only $20, that would still be awesome.

You can paypal me at [email protected]  whatever you can contribute.

I am going to the store to buy the gift certificate today.  No, there is no such thing as too late, I will front whatever money you commit at the cash register today.

Needless to say, I had to really pause and reflect after reading this.  When someone is in such dire need that they ask for SOCKS for a present, it makes you realize how great you really have things.  Sure, we can all whine and bitch from time-to-time; it’s natural.  But in the grand scheme of things, much of what we worry and fuss over is minutiae.

This is a call to arms to all my readers – if you’d like to give something, anything, to Larry and his family, I would be honored.  Send Josef a Paypal payment of ANY AMOUNT, then turn around and e-mail me and I will send you either a Robertson Training Systems shirt or hat.  It’s the least I can do for your generosity.

I sincerely hope that each and every one of you has a Happy Holiday season.  Be thankful for the things, and most importantly THE PEOPLE in your life.  I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your support of myself and my business over the years!

All the best

MR