Do One Nice Thing

Hopefully ShallowGal isn't disclosing any industry secrets when she explains that for the Silicon Valley Mom's Book Club, instead of actual reviews, we write posts inspired by the book. So when ShallowGal tried to figure out the angle to take for this month's SV mom's book club, Do One Nice Thing, the obvious choice was to either talk about all the nice things she does or the nice things others do for her. (1)

Gratuitous shot of the cheerful cover to distract you from
the sad story that's SG is about to tell.

Then SG panicked.

Because last year SG was called out by an ex-friend on her blog (1.5). The accusation: ShallowGal does do good things but tells anyone who will listen about them. Which lessens the good deed. The consensus in the comment sections was that conservatives do more good deeds than liberals but talk about them less. Their reward is in Heaven. (2)

For the record, it was a bullshit assertion. Ask anyone who knows her well, ShallowGal cannot stand to be the center of attention. True story: when SG was 8 she owned a tee shirt that had a recipe for caramel corn on the front. (3) People would stop SG and ask if they could copy her shirt. Thirty-two years later, SG still can't eat caramel corn without having a panic attack.

Here's why SG talks (and blogs) about her primary good deed, being a volunteer emergency foster family. To encourage others to consider trying it.(4, 4.5) She figures people look at her messy, cluttered 1900 square foot home and the outgrown blond highlights and they say, yikes, if she can do it, certainly *I* can.

And you can. Here's what you need to be a foster parent. Love. Patience. Maybe a pack and play in the attic. (5)

It's a more work than sending pencils to a needy school, but the reward is exponentially good. But in the meantime, send some pencils. A little karma never hurt anyone.

1) Most recently: a trainer at the gym gave Jake 2 tickets to today's Capitols- Rangers game.
1.5) A conservative politics manifesto where SG was occasionally referred to as a "libtard. " Which I think we can agree falls firmly in the "not nice" category.
2) ShallowGal will take her reward in dark chocolate kit kats.
3) I don't know why either. The 70's are a fashion mystery.
4) And the Karma. You write a blog like this, you take all the karma you can get.
4.5) And maybe just a teeny bit because she doesn't want people to think she was cheating on PCSguy.
5) And Social services can usually provide one in a pinch.