A prize from my dad. To you.

This past summer — around June, I think — I broke down and opened a Facebook account for the very first time. I didn’t want to — I really didn’t want to — but I did and I’m so glad that I —.

Wait — . I’m getting ahead of myself.

See, for many years I have been watching from the sidelines as all of this social network stuff popped up all around me. The posts. The likes. The people claiming they had thousands and thousands of friends. The — hey look at what I did today, saw today, thought today and while you’re at it —just look at me.

It all seemed a little silly and more than a little self-involved. So I made my stand. Nope. Not going to do it.

Then, this past summer we launched 543skills and I was told by the designers, the website experts and the marketing folks to — in a very nice way — get over it. I needed to get a personal Facebook page and one for 543skills.

So I gritted my teeth, clenched my fists, pushed the buttons and joined the social revolution.

Now I’ve stated before that I was absolutely wrong about Facebook. I find it fun, entertaining and not nearly as intrusive as I thought it would be. I have reconnected with old friends — a few of them in real life after not seeing them for decades — as well as developed stronger friendships with people I only see occasionally. We have organized events and activities and have more contact with neighbors than ever before. Facebook is — and yes I know there are other social networks out there, but one step at a time — incredible and I’m so glad I plugged into it.

Now with that in mind, there is clearly a Facebook Life and a Real Life and a gap often lies between them.

And just in the short time that I’ve been on it I admit I am much kinder, more involved and more supportive on Facebook than I am in real life.

I don’t walk up to people at a store and say, hey nice sweater. But I will on Facebook.

And why do my Facebook friends get to see pictures of my kids but my elderly aunt who doesn’t know what a computer is, never does? And why do I now communicate daily with the kids I grew up with but my cousin — who I also grew up with but isn’t on Facebook — I speak to a few times a year?

Did you know that since 1995, when the internet began at full steam, Americans have been sending less and less paper Christmas cards out each and every year with experts stating that they will most likely stop manufacturing them in bulk by 2020? — it’s so much easier to send an e-card or a message online.

And when is the last time, I mean the very last time, we picked up the phone and decided to actually call someone we haven’t heard from in a long time instead of dropping them an email or a message?

Soooo… Here is the challenge and here is the game.

But first, the prize.

What is it?

Well, my dad died in 1991. He left me his stamp collection — his entire stamp collection. It’s one of the few things that I have no fond memories of him of and I’d like someone else to have it. There are three solid photo books full of stamps from all over the world that he had been collecting for decades — they have been stored in a dry, safe location and has not been opened or seen the light of day in over twenty years. And no, I have absolutely no idea of the value. I just know that I have many things to remember him by and this collection isn’t one of them — and more importantly, he would get the biggest kick out of knowing that people were out there being nice to each other in order to get it.

And — . For those of you who aren’t into stamps, here is Option Two. I will publically sell the entire stamp collection publically on e-bay and send you the cash —. Again, I have no idea of the value but it should be pretty good.

So, here is your challenge.

Ready?

Live your life — your real life — like you do on Facebook. For a month

So how do you do this?

I have no idea. It’s your life. How should I know?

Maybe write a letter — a real, hand written letter to an old friend? Possibly, take a pile of printed photographs of your family to an elderly neighbor and show them to her. Maybe ask that crossing guard that you see every day what their name is, or pick up an acquaintance and take them to church with you. Like I said, I have no idea. It’s your life.

But be creative, be impactful and don’t just step out of your comfort zone — jump out of it.

And since those are the only rules you can’t really cheat. In fact, all you really need to do is document it by sending us a message, video, text, written story, whatever, of all the things you’ve done in your real life — something positive and worth mentioning — that you would normally only do in your Facebook life. Then, either post it to the 543skills.com Forum page (tips and tricks), or the 543skills Facebook page — and yes, there are more points added for continual posts.

The winner gets the prize, their name on the site, our unending admiration and will be crowned — 543skills, Real Life Czar.

Let’s run this game from 12/18/2014 to 01/18/2015.

Good luck. Have fun and go have a great, real life.

* * * * * * *

FACEBOOK POST:

BECCA: … I’d also like to share my vision for if I win. My grandpa and I have never lived closer than a seven hour drive from each other. He’s been an avid stamp collector for as long as I have known him. He used to go to trade shows and was very into it. He has recently decided not to have a heart surgery that doctors have suggested, feeling the risks outweigh the benefits for him. If I win, I would like to use the stamps as a discussion point for us…I plan to send him pictures of what I can to see if he can gauge their worth. If they will cover the cost, I will sell them to fund a trip for my family to visit him and for him to meet my son.

 

543SKILLS: The great thing about being a small website like 543skills is that we can pretty much do — whatever we want. If we want to change the rules of the contest we don’t need to meet with the board or research the bylaws or check the documentation. What documentation? We can do whatever we want to do. And we see no reason to run this contest out to January — what’s the point? You get it and we want you and your grandfather to have the prize.

Now I don’t know if this stamp collection is worth a thousand dollars or a thousand cents but we want you and your grandfather to have it — I want my father’s collection to go to your grandfather. So if you message me with your address we will get it in the mail to you this week — it won’t make it to you by Christmas but it will be there this year.

Thanks so much for telling us your story and thanks so much for being a part of this with us.

Everett De Morier
543skills.com
P.S. Here is a little about my dad you can share with your grandfather.— http://543skills.com/fathers-day/

 

… the collection went out to Becca’s grandfather on December 26, 2014.