Hey, brother, can you spare a … story?
By By Buddy Bynum / editor
Dec. 14, 2003
There is no set technique for producing the jingle jangle that prompts people on the spur of the moment to drop money into Salvation Army kettles at Christmastime.
The little red bells used by volunteer bell-ringers these days produce a sound that is quiet, unobtrusive, not much more than a tinkle. Think of it this way: It's what miniature blinking lights on your Christmas tree might sound like if they made a sound.
You can shake the bell. You can swing the bell. You can use your wrist more than your arm or your arm more than your wrist. The result is essentially the same.
Responding to need
This is probably by design. It's a subtle reminder that people across the street or around the community are in need. The cash collected from Salvation Army kettles helps one of this country's most worthwhile causes generate the funds to help those people not only at Christmas.
Even in natural disasters or other calamities, you can always depend on the Salvation Army and Red Cross.
Today, my focus is on the Salvation Army.
The Salvation Army's bell-ringing campaign functions due to the generosity of private businesses, which allow volunteers to do their thing in front of malls or big shopping centers.
When the weather's accommodating, it's a kick to stand there with a few friends and make eye contact with people coming in and going out of, say, the front entrance of Bonita Lakes Mall. A smile is helpful, along with "Merry Christmas" or "season's greetings" or "happy holidays" depending on your own personal level of political correctness. A thank you is imperative.
When the weather's bitter and cold, you stand wishing for a cup of hot chocolate and thinking that maybe you should have worn those long johns after all. When the weather's better, time seems to move more quickly, as does the conversation with your ringing mates.
Then, suddenly, after about two hours on the front lines of the charity collections business, you realize it's not the kettle. It's not the bell. It's not the location, or the weather, or even your aching feet.
Spirit of giving
Out at the front entrance to Bonita Lakes Mall the other day with fellow members of the Kiwanis Club of Meridian, I discovered something else, something genuine about friendship and the Christmas spirit that had nothing to do with ringing bells or raising money.
It's the people who make it all work, the people who volunteer a few hours to ring the bells and especially the generous folks who drop money into the kettle. You'd be amazed at how quickly the pot grows.
It's especially enjoyable to watch youngsters come over to the kettle and drop in some change that they either dig out of their pockets or already have clutched in their hands. They're learning something about helping others, about giving back, and that's one of life's great and valuable lessons.
You'd also be amazed at some of Meridian attorney and veteran bell-ringer Winston Cameron's stories, but that's another story altogether. Don't even ask him about losing his clapper (my word for the little ball of metal that swings from a paper clip and strikes the inside of the bell to produce the sound.)
To experience the true joy of Christmas, don't wade through a gaggle of boisterous, bargain-hungry shoppers inside Wal-Mart. No, don't spend all your money there. Listen for the tinkling of a little red bell in the hands of a volunteer, usually standing just outside with a Salvation Army sign on a simple easel and a red kettle.
Drop a few coins or some folding money in the slot at the top of the kettle; it accommodates both.
Or, take matters into your own hands and ring a bell for people less fortunate than you. I did and so can you. No experience required.
